Castello di Amorosa's Silence of the Lamb Shanks

Lamb shanks are the quintessential fall comfort food, especially paired with fava beans and a nice Chianti (Sangiovese). It may just be one of the most famous food and wine pairings of all time thanks to Hannibal Lecter!
Servings: 4

 Cook Time: 8 hours + 10 hours soaking

 Pair With: Castello di Amorosa's 2010 Napa Valley Sangiovese

 Source: Recipe & picture courtesy of Castello di Amorosa

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients For the Fava Beans:
1 can of fava beans
pancetta
spinach
broth
salt and pepper

Ingredients For the Lamb Shanks:
4 lamb shanks
grapeseed oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
1 can (14 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8-10 cloves of diced garlic
4-6 large sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 sweet onion, cut into large slices

DIRECTIONS

Directions for the Fava Beans with Pancette and Spinach:
Remove the outer skin of the fava beans, then soak them in salted water. Let soften in in the salted water for 10-12 hours. Simmer the fava beans in salted water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sautée the pancetta and garlic. Add the fava beans and top with spinach leaves. Add broth to wilt the spinach and sauté until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions For the Lamb Shanks
Coat the lamb shanks with grape seed oil and brown them in a large pan. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Place seasoned and browned shanks into crock pot and top with all of the other ingredients for the lamb shanks. Then, place the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the shanks and plate them with the sauce and fava beans.