Preheat Oven to 300 degrees.

Tie butcher twine around the thickest part of the lamb shanks. Season each heavily with salt and pepper then roll in flour so it is evenly coated.

Place a braising pan on the stove top over high heat. Cover the bottom of the pan with your canola once the pan is very hot. Carefully place your shanks into the hot oil and brown all surfaces (the darker the lamb the better the texture). Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add all of your vegetables and your bay leaves to the pan. Scrape whatever you can from the bottom of the pan. Once the vegetables start to soften add your tomato paste. Once the paste turns from red to brown you can add your sherry cooking wine. Reduce the sherry for 5 minutes. Again scrape what you can from the bottom of the pan.

Place your lamb shanks back into the pan; add the beef stock, the diced tomatoes, thyme and rosemary. If your shanks are not at least ¾ covered with liquid you should add more beef stock. The size of your braising pan will determine how much stock you will use.

Cover tightly with foil and place your pan into the oven on the center rack.

Cook for at least two hours or until the lamb shanks are fork tender and the meat wants to fall off the bone.

Be sure to skim whatever fat you can off the top of the braising liquid, and remove twine from shanks before serving.

Serve with braising liquid and braising vegetables.