Best Bites: The Squeaky Bean’s Lamb Shank

As winter transitions into what promises to be spring, Theo Adley, the executive chef at the Squeaky Bean has rolled out a new menu. There’s a sablefish crudo with roasted pineapple, brown butter, and bee pollen that tastes ever-so slightly of passionfruit. And then there’s the newly launched lamb shank (pictured) that perfectly toes the line between the two seasons. The meat itself—not to mention its prehistoriclike appearance—is slow-cooked and hearty but the flavors burst with acidic-sweet pomegranate seeds, crushed pistachios, tangy yogurt, and bright herbs.

Adley serves the shank with cauliflower florets dipped in curried yogurt and roasted until they develop a golden crust. Combine those nutty morsels with a forkful of lamb and a swipe of the herbed French lentils that decorate the plate. Think of the dish as a chameleon: It’s as satisfying on a snowy night as it is on early spring evening.

Bonus: Counteract the lamb shank’s richness by ordering the bagna cauda salad (pictured, background). Adley’s bitter mix of castelfranco, treviso, and cardoon is bathed in a classic Italian sauce of warm olive oil, garlic, and anchovies.

1500 Wynkoop St., 303-623-2665

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