Lamb Shank Stifado with Sauteed Potatoes

Serves 4
Stifado, a hearty Greek stew, can be made with almost any kind of meat, though beef is most common. Here we use lamb. It always involves either red wine or red-wine vinegar or both, herbs, and copious quantities of small whole onions.

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
a 28- to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes including juice, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
6 lamb shanks (about 6 pounds total)
1 pound pearl onions (about 3 cups)
2 pounds small red potatoes
3 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation
 Preheat oven to 350°F. 
 In a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle cook sugar on top of stove over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar, stirring with a fork until melted and cook without stirring, swirling kettle, until a deep golden caramel. Add vinegar and stir until caramel is dissolved. Stir in tomatoes with juice, wine, rosemary, cinnamon, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add lamb shanks and braise, covered, in middle of oven until tender, about 2 hours. Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim and discard fat from mixture and reheat on top of stove before proceeding. 
 In a saucepan of boiling water blanch onions 10 minutes, or until just tender, and drain. Cool onions and peel. 
 Quarter potatoes and in a steamer set over simmering water steam potatoes, covered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. In a large non-stick skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add potatoes with salt and pepper to taste and sauté mixture over moderately high heat 5 minutes, or until potatoes are golden. 
 Transfer meat with a slotted spoon to a platter. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add onions to sauce and boil until sauce is thickened slightly. Spoon sauce and onions over meat and surround with potatoes.