Leading the California cuisine movement in the 1970s, Chef Jeremiah Tower distinguished himself with his innovative style and extraordinary dishes. Developing his culinary skills at Chez Panisse and later at his standout San Francisco establishment, Stars, Tower crafted this heavenly dish of lamb foreshanks that continues to awe diners today.

To create this masterpiece at home, begin by preheating your oven to 300°F. Coat four lamb foreshanks (about five pounds in total) in one teaspoon of kosher salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.

Proceed to heat one tablespoon of unsalted butter in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat until it starts foaming. To this, add two lamb foreshanks, a dozen unpeeled garlic cloves, six fresh bay leaves, and six thyme sprigs, and rotate them in the dutch oven until all sides of the lamb are deliciously browned, which usually takes around 15 minutes.

Transfer the browned meat and aromatics to a platter, and add another spoonful of butter and the remaining two foreshanks to the Dutch oven. Brown the lamb, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid over-browning. After about 15 minutes, return the first batch of foreshanks, garlic, and herbs to the Dutch oven, cover with a lid and move it to the preheated oven. Cook for approximately 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender, flipping shanks every 20 minutes for even cooking.

After the shanks are tender, remove them from the Dutch oven and pour 3 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock into it. Bring the stock to a boil, scraping the bottom to capture any residual flavors. Skim off fat from the surface and discard, then reduce the stock until you're left with about 2 cups. Strain the reduced stock through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup, discard the solids, and clean the Dutch oven.

Next, add 24 peeled garlic cloves to the strained stock. Simmer this over medium-low heat until the garlic softens, usually around 20 minutes. Finally, add strips of one large red and one medium-sized yellow bell pepper and fresh thyme leaves.

You can prepare the lamb up to a day in advance to enhance its flavors. Let it cool down to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat it before proceeding with the next step, which is returning the lamb to the Dutch oven. Cook the dish over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and garlic are tender.

Final step: place the lamb shanks on warm serving plates. Spice up the sauce with another spoonful of butter and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until it's creamy, season to taste with additional salt, and spoon it along with the bell peppers and garlic over the lamb shanks for a beautiful presentation.

Unforgettable and incredibly flavorsome, this dish is a testament to Jeremiah Tower's culinary prowess. The lamb's richness is balanced by the freshness of bell peppers, making this dish a true delight to the senses. You need patience when braising lamb, especially when working with foreshanks, but the result is worth waiting for: a melt-in-your-mouth sensation that will keep you coming back for more. Chef Tower's recipe was named one of the best of 2018 by Food & Wine, and now you can recreate this masterpiece at your own dinner table.