I usually make this dinner with venison shanks ( the "shins" of the deer) but it goes equally well with lamb or goat shanks. It is a Moroccan inspired dish using whole dried all spices (all spice, cumin, cinnamon, sea salt, pepper, dried marjoram, whole coriander) ground in a coffee grinder and then rubbed onto the shanks. They are first browned in a porcelain dutch oven then cooked in a mix of more spices, onion, tomatoes and white wine very slowly for serveal hours. The dish is about fresh spices, a little technique and patience.

I usually serve the shanks with a side dish of large Israeli pearl cous-cous cooked in saffron infused chicken stock with dried apricots, dried figs and golden raisins and then I serve a green vegetable that depends on what is fresh or at hand. A great green pea dish I do is super easy using frozen peas with olive oil, lemon zest, fresh mint, fresh ground black pepper, red onion, cumin seeds & yogurt.

The coolest thing about this dinner is that 90% of the cooking happens hours before your guests arrive the the other 10% takes literally 15 minutes.

What kind of cooking utensils has JCD guided you to acquire? The essential cooking utensils to make this dinner are:

• Large (6+ qt) porcelain or enamel covered cast iron dutch oven like these:

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CI670-30CR-Enameled-Casserole-Cardinal/dp/B0017HRLFC/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1376420502&sr=1-1&keywords=enameled+cast+iron

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Cuistot-Classic-Oval-Dutch/dp/B000XDOTYC/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1376420555&sr=1-9&keywords=enameled+cast+iron

http://www.amazon.com/6-5q-porcelain-enameled-Dutch-Casserole/dp/B0077Q18X8/ref=sr_1_13?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1376420555&sr=1-13&keywords=enameled+cast+iron

• Spare Coffee grinder You want one separate for fresh spices

Anything you don't have I am more than willing to lend you.

Let me know your thoughts. Feel free to reach out to me on my cell or at my office (right down the hill from you next door to Joe's Crab Shack on Riverside)

Scott