Rhubarb braised lamb tacos with rhubarb salsa

By Alex Page

Put a savoury twist on rhubarb with these tasty tacos made with bright salsa and tender lamb.

4H 45 Mins

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
4 allspice berries
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small cooking onion, peeled and halved
2 cups frozen rhubarb, thawed and puréed
2 cups dry white wine
4 tablespoons honey, divided
3 stalks fresh rhubarb, finely diced
1 small seeded jalapeño, finely diced (optional
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Warm corn tortillas, crumbled feta, lime wedges, and your favourite hot sauces for serving

Pat lamb shanks dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil and lamb shanks and brown on all sides, then transfer shanks to a rimmed dish and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-high, add fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, garlic, and onion to the saucepan and cook until fragrant, about two to three minutes, then add rhubarb puree, and wine, bring mixture to a simmer, stir in three tablespoons of honey, add reserved lamb shanks and any accumulated juices, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until shanks are fall-off-the-bone tender, about four hours.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir together fresh rhubarb, jalapeño, if using, red onion, cilantro, remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, and remaining one tablespoon of honey until well combined, season salsa to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, shred lamb from the bone and serve on top of warm corn tortillas garnished with reserved rhubarb salsa, feta cheese, lime wedges, and hot sauces. Enjoy!