Highly seasoned but far from fiery, the sauce on these fall-apart-tender shanks is intensely rich but not heavy. Now, many supermarkets sell bags of shanks in their frozen food section. If you prefer fresh ones, you may have to ask a butcher who sells lamb to save them for you. This sauce works equally well with veal shanks.
Make ahead
This is a perfect recipe to make ahead as flavours improve with refrigeration. The entire dish can be made at least 2 days ahead, then covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. To reheat, set saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and stir often until piping hot. Or reheat, covered and stirring occasionally, in a 350F (180C) oven. This dish also freezes beautifully and can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight or in a microwave.