Chef critique
Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Autumn Vegetables
An elegantly formatted Moroccan lamb braise, but the meat and vegetables are substantially underseasoned and the vegetables are added too early to hold their shape.
Score: 7/10
Suggested fixes
- Increase the salt applied to the lamb in step 1 to 14 teaspoons to meet the 1.5% ratio for bone-in meat.
- Increase the salt added to the braise in step 6 to 8 teaspoons to properly season the large volume of vegetables and broth.
- Delay adding the vegetables in step 6 so the carrots braise for 45 to 60 minutes and the squash and peppers braise for 20 to 30 minutes, preventing them from disintegrating.
Issues
- high / flavor: The recipe significantly underseasons the lamb shanks and the braising vegetables. Based on the 1.5% rule for bone-in meat, 6 pounds of lamb requires about 14 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, rather than 6. Additionally, the 3.5 pounds of vegetables and 3 cups of broth in the braise require about 8 teaspoons based on the 1% rule, rather than 5.
- medium / timing: The carrots are added 1.5 to 2 hours before the lamb finishes, and the squash and peppers cook for up to an hour. Root vegetables and squash will turn to mush or completely disintegrate when braised for this long.
Strengths
- Excellent adherence to the prep-first structure and concise, single-task steps.
- Properly formats and integrates bulleted lists for the vegetable preparation and spice mixture.
- Accurately calculates the 1% salt requirement for the couscous and its absorbed cooking liquid.