1 c  Dried Cannellini, great
- Northern or navy beans
1 lg Head garlic
1 tb Olive oil
4    Lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
- and membrane (1 pound)
2 sm Carrots, peeled and diced
1    Onion, chopped
1    Stalk celery, diced
1/2 c  Dry red wine
1/2 c  Defatted beef stock
28 oz Plum tomatoes, drained
- (1 can)
2 tb Chopped fresh rosemary -or-
- 2 ts dried
1    Bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground
- pepper to taste

Sort beans, discarding any debris. Rinse and place in a large bowl. Cover
with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours of overnight.
Alternatively, in a large pot, cover beans with water and bring to a boil.
Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Preheat
oven to 300 degrees. Remove as much of the outer husk of the garlic as
possible without separating the colves. Wrap loosely in aluminum foil and
bake for 30 minutes. Unwrap foil and separate the cloves slightly so that
they cook evenly. Wrap again and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the
garlic is very soft. Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 325
degrees. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat.
Add lamb shanks and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and drain on
paper towels. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan, then add
carrots, onions and celery; saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened.
Add wine and cook until it has reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in
beef stock, tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaf. Peel half the roasted garlic
cloves and add to the pan; bring to a boil. Return the meat to the pan,
cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the
shanks occasionally, or until the meat is very tender. Meanwhile, drain
beans and place in a large heavy pot. Add water to cover by about 4 inches
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1
hour, or until the beans are tender. Drain. (This recipe can be prepared
ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate the stew and beans separately
for up to 2 days. Lift off fat that has solidified on the surface of the
stew and reheat before proceeding.) With tongs, transfer the shanks to a
plate, cover and keep warm. Remove bay leaf from the sauce and skim off
fat. Boil the sauce for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Peel
the remaining roasted garlic and add to the sauce along with the drained
beans. Heat through and season with salt and pepper. Mound the bean
mixture on a platter and place the lamb shanks on top. Serves 4. CALORIES:
445 PER SERVING; PROTEIN: 40 GRAMS; FAT: 10 GRAMS; CARBOHYDRATE: 46 GRAMS;
SODIUM: 518 MILLIGRAMS; CHOLESTEROL: 89 MILLIGRAMS.