Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine

A tagine is a heavy clay pot used to slow cook stews in a simmer. In Moroccan cuisines, lamb is cooked until the meat falls off the bone. Yum! The slow cooking method allows for cheaper cuts (usually the tough cuts of shoulder and shanks) of meat to be used. There is no hard or fast rule on what type of spices should be used. But something that is essential is preserved lemons! If Morocco is credited for one thing and one thing only, it should be for contributing preserved lemons to the culinary world. The lemons are pickled in a brine of lemon juice, salt, and water and bring out the natural sweet and tartness of the lemon which can create a delicious depth of flavor in any dish. Preserved lemons are the secret ingredient to any tagine and pairs well with chicken, lamb, beef, and seafood. Preserved lemons may not be the highlight of this dish, but it makes a big difference in taste.
I made a Moroccan Lamb Tagine, using lamb shank. I’m also a cheater cheater pumpkin eater because I used a pressure cooker. Although I would love to taste the deliciousness of a slow cooked lamb braised for hours in its own juices, I frankly do not have the time or patience to wait 2 plus hours for my meal. I’m sure the wait is worth it, but for now my stomach and I are happy with the pressure cooked meats.
Use my recipe as a guide, if you do not like a certain spice, or just don’t have it in your pantry then skip it. The beauty of a tagine is you can create your own melody of flavors with the spices you like. I would suggest not skipping out on the turmeric, cinnamon, and paprika if you don’t have to.

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Lamb Shank Tagine

2 lamb shanks about 1lb each (you can French trim your lamb shank for extra prettiness)
4 preserved lemons sliced

1 quart of chicken broth

1 cup of chopped celery

1 cup of chopped carrots (chop to the size of your liking, you can chop them small and they will mush into your sauce, or if you like a heartier looking stew you can cut them into larger chunks)

1 medium sized onion chopped

2tbs flour

1 T paprika (smoked or sweet whatever you like)

½ T cayenne pepper

2-3 small pieces of cinnamon or ½ T of ground cinnamon

2 T chopped garlic                                                                       

1 t Tumeric

1 t ground cumin                                                

1 t ground coriander

1T pepper

4-5 twigs of fresh thyme

Salt to taste

 

 
 
 




Wash and trim off any extra fat off your lamb shanks. I’m usually a fan of leaving the fat on anything but since this meat is stewed and the fat is drained anywhere, its best just to remove it if you don’t want a greasy dish. Salt and pepper both sides and brown in a heavy bottomed pan or directly in your pressure cooker with a little olive oil to coat the pot.
 
 
 

 
 
 

After all sides of browned, remove the shanks and add your onions, carrots, and celery in the same pot- add a little butter or oil if you need to prevent the veggies from sticking to the bottom. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for about a minute or two to get the raw flour taste out.
 

 

 
 
 
 
Once the veggies have ever so slightly softened, add your spices and thyme. Cook until the spices are fragrant and add your lamb shanks back into the pot.
 
 
 
 
 

Add the chicken broth and extra water if needed until the top of the shanks are covered. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. If you are using a pressure cooker try cooking in between 20-25 minutes and check to see if your meat is ready. If you think it needs more time cook the remaining time on a simmer, or cook it under pressure for an additional 5 minutes. Cooking it for too long on simmer or in the pressure cooker can result to the meat fallen off the bone. You want the meat to fall off the bone when you try to eat it, but not already fallen off the bone before you have plated it.

I served my lamb shank tagine with couscous cooked in chicken broth and garlic. I also added some chopped thyme and mint.