Everyday Dutch Oven: Jeanne's Lamb Shanks

     I must be dating myself because I can remember when short ribs and lamb shanks used to be considered cheaper cuts of meat. Not so anymore, their prices have sky rocketed, at least at Easter time you might be able to find the lamb on sale. This recipe has been in my family for years, my mother probably found it on a box of Knorr soup in the eighties. It's another one of those foolproof, easy clean up, guaranteed to be moist and delicious ways of cooking lamb. Like the corned beef and ribs I have posted on my blog, it's cooked the same way in a packet of aluminum foil inside your dutch oven. If you can, try to use the Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix, it is used for soup and dip and has good sized chunks of dehydrated vegetables. It is perfectly seasoned and a great compliment to the strongly flavored lamb. Place the lamb shanks on the foil, sprinkle with the soup mix, wrap tightly and bake in your dutch oven for 2 to 2 and 1/4 hours. I completely replaced the coals halfway during cooking time, in my 12 inch oven they baked with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 28 coals on the lid. If you want to make them in your conventional oven cook them for 3 hours at 300 degrees, they will be fall off the bone tender and if you're making these away from home, don't forget to pack the mint jelly!

Jeanne's Lamb Shanks
2-3 lamb shanks (bone in)
1 package Knorr Vegetable Recipe (soup/dip) Mix
1-2 sheets of wide, heavy duty aluminum foil

     Lightly oil or spray a 12 inch or larger dutch oven.
     Place lamb shanks, side by side, in center of aluminum foil.
     Sprinkle evenly with packet of soup.
     Bring long ends of foil together as if you were wrapping a package and roll securely so packet is tightly sealed.
     Seal short ends of foil packet.
     To ensure an easier clean up, wrap the packet once again in an extra layer of foil.
     Place in center of dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 2 to 2 1/4 hours, replenishing coals halfway through cooking time.
     Makes 2-4 servings depending on the size of your lamb shanks.