about 2 lbs of sliced beef shank
scant 1 tblsp of the fat of your choice (I used bacon fat)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced medium thick
salt and pepper
1 tblsp ras el hanout seasoning
1/2 a preserved lemon (more or less as you prefer)
dried figs--either 8 small whole or fewer cut up
1 1/2 cups beef broth (if using canned you may want to use half broth, half water)
4-8 ounces sorrel leaves
Preheat oven to 325. Sprinkle the beef shank with salt and brown in the fat in a dutch oven or oven-proof skillet. Add the onion before removing from the heat so the onion has a chance to brown a little. Remove from heat and sprinkle with pepper and ras el hanout seasoning. Add the preserved lemon, diced, and the figs if you want to leave them whole. Add the broth or liquid, which should come at least half way up the shanks, and bring to a boil. Transfer to the oven, covered, and cook for two hours at 325. Remove carefully from the oven, remove the shanks from the liquid, and immediately stir the sorrel into the liquid. Sorrel will wilt down to almost nothing the way spinach does--it may work better to stir it in a large handful at a time. Stir in figs if you are using them cut up. Shred or cut up the meat from the beef shanks and add it and the marrow back to the liquid. Reheat if needed and serve.
And for the leftover sorrel:
Sorrel and Celery Root Soup
1 quart chicken stock
2 small or 1 medium celery roots
4-8 oz sorrel leaves, cut up if large
some leftover chicken, diced
salt to taste
Peel and chop the celery root, then cook it in the chicken stock until soft. Put the celery root pieces and some of the chicken stock in a blender or food processor and puree. Return to the pot with the rest of the stock and heat to simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the sorrel leaves and chicken meat. Adjust seasoning and serve
