Braised Lamb Shank Recipe

Hello, Sam's birthday dinner:

Here are the Lizzified [simplified, tweaked, originified, unwineified] recipes:

Braised Lamb Shank
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 lamb shank
1 onion
1 large carrot
1 stick celery
2 cloves garlic
8 oz can pureed tomato sauce
1 can beef broth (14-15 oz)
salt, pepper, and rosemary
1 pot/vessel with lid that can be put in the oven

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees about 3 1/2 hours before you plan to eat. This is simple to prepare, cooks slowly, and is definitely worth the wait. Prep is simple: Chop your veggies up. Onions in big pieces. Garlic can be sliced or diced. Carrots and celery are self explanatory.

Almost forgot: to prep your lamb shank for cooking, trim off excess fat. [And here's a trick I saw on the Food Network: using your knife, cut around the tendons on the end of the bone. Sounds gross, but what will happen is that the meat won't be, like, constricted? Is that weird to say? Like, when it's cooking it will shrink on the bone and look like a turkey leg on cartoons. Is this TMI? I'm done. Sorry, vegetarians. I like lamb so much. Baaa.]

Heat your pot (if you're using an oven-safe pot) to medium high with a couple tablespoons oil. Generously salt and pepper the lamb shank. Braise the lamb by browning it on all sides, turning it with tongs. Remove the shank and set aside on a plate.

In the same hot pan, sautee the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, sprinkling on a few dashes of salt and a 1/2 tsp rosemary. Once the onions begin to brown, add the tomato sauce and beef broth.

Add the lamb shank to the pot--ideally to submerge it like halfway in the base. Cover the pot with the lid and stick the whole ordeal in the oven. Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours (depending on the size of your shank, baby), turning the lamb over halfway through. Then you will eat it. And you will love it.

Sauteed Asparagus with Lemon & Thyme
Saute thinly sliced onions in olive oil with dash o' salt until clear and beginning to brown (heat at med. high). Add asparagus (with woody ends cut off) for 3-5 minutes. Squeeze juice from one lemon over the asparagus and sprinkle with thyme leaves (1/2 tbs?). Salt and pepper to taste. Sautee for another minute. Consume.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I always get sweet potatoes and yams mixed up, but use the orange-er variety. Cut desired amount into pieces and boil in water until soft. Add a couple spoonfuls of brown sugar or sugar to the water (if you want), depending on how sweet you feel and how fat you want to be. Drain the water off and mash up soft orange mush with your preferred amount of butter, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cloves depending on your mood, diet, or doctor's orders. Forget about your doctor's orders, remember you are eating a sibling of the carrot and eat.