Moroccan meat are usually cooked in tagines. The word “tagine” is a cone shaped pot which allows slow cooking over a low fire without too much evaporation, so you can cook meat long and slow while a rich sauce forms around it.

Since I don’t actually own a tagine, I braised the shanks on the stovetop and then cooked it in the stew and finally for the slow cooking, in the oven.

Most Moroccan recipes have at least one type of dried fruit, such as apricots or dates. They also use warming spices like cinnamon and ginger. I just used tinned tomatoes, easy to find spices (which you will probably have in the cupboard already) and broth to the braising liquid. After 2-3 hours in the oven, the shanks are meltingly tender and the sauce is thick and sweet. It’s absolutely delicious on its own.

After cooking, be sure to skim off as much of the liquid fat as you can before serving. A little fat is ok, but too much will ruin the mouth feel of the dish, in my opinion.

If you love shanks like we do, then this lamb shank recipe is definitely a keeper! Video recipe at:https://youtu.be/7RU2NdgUHjY