Braised Lamb Shanks

1. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil or medium-high heat. Pat dry the lamb shanks with paper towels and season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Once the oil is hot, add in the lamb shanks and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until browned. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
4. Carefully drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons of drippings from the pot.
5. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and stir until slightly softened about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
6. Next, add in the tomato paste and allow this to brown for about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and carefully scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add the lamb shanks back to the pot along with the broth, tomato sauce, herbs and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring it to a simmer.
8. Cover the pot, transfer it to the lower part of the oven and cook for 2 hours. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
9. Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaves and thyme. Adjust the sauce to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.
10. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes with extra sauce.

NOTE: If the sauce is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 3-5 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk into the sauce to thicken.