Asian-spiced braised lamb shanks

Ingredients:

• 4 (about 2kg) lamb shanks
• Salt and milled pepper
• Flour, for dusting
• Olive oil, for cooking  
• 4 sticks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 onions, thinly sliced 
• 4 tsp (20ml) PnP crushed garlic, ginger & chilli 
• 2 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks 
• 4 PnP lime leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp (5ml) chilli flakes
• 1 tsp (5ml) fennel seeds
• 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
• Juice (80ml) and peeled rind of 1 orange
• ¼ cup (60ml) dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (80ml) apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup (125ml) thick soy sauce 
• 3-4 cups (750ml-1L) water
• Rice or potatoes, for serving
• Chopped chilli and sliced spring onion, for serving (optional) 

Method:

1. Season lamb and dust lightly in flour, shaking off excess. 
2. Heat a glug oil in a large cast-iron pot over high heat.  
3. Brown lamb shanks on all sides, about 8-10 minutes in total. Set aside.
4. Lower heat, add a glug oil to pot and sauté celery and onion for 4-5 minutes to soften slightly. 
5. Add crushed garlic, ginger & chilli and spices, frying for 30-60 seconds (take care not to burn it). 
6. Pour in stock, orange juice and rind, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce, and stir to combine. 
7. Return shanks to pot, topping up with water to submerge meat. Cover. 
   Roast at 180°C for 2½-3 hours, rotating shanks every 45 minutes to ensure even cooking. 
8. Turn oven off and leave shanks in closed oven for another 1-2 hours. 
9. Remove lamb from pot and simmer cooking liquid over high heat to make a gravy, about 15 minutes. (Thicken with cornflour if you like.) 
10. Serve lamb shanks covered in gravy, with a side of your choice, garnished with chilli and spring onion if you like. 

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