Chef Eric Miller 
Cavo

Eric Miller is a seasoned chef who hails from Great Neck, Long Island.  While attending an upstate college Miller realized that he would be happier developing his passion for cooking than studying economics; so he enrolled at the The Culinary Institute of America.

After graduating with a degree in culinary arts, he worked in Colorado, at Aspen’s Charlemagne Restaurant and then in New York, at Sag Harbor’s, The Long Wharf and Carol’s. Before venturing out on his own, he worked at the Maurice in the hotel Parker Meridien with four-star Chef Christian Delouvrier, one of the most talented and respected chefs in the industry.

Miller owned several restaurants on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, such as City Café, Tavola and Chianti. He also had an eye for choosing real culinary talent; he hired chef Mark Strausman at Tavola and chef Scott Conant at Chianti, who went on to be a New York Times three-star chef and James Beard award winner.

Miller is now a partner and the executive chef at Cavo. He is also a partner in Hampton Clam Bake & Catering Inc. and FOOD & CO., special event caterers in the Hamptons.

Fork Tender Baby Lamb Shank
Serves Four

Ingredients:

Four baby shanks
4oz  extra virgin olive oil
1 cup  pancetta (Italian bacon) diced
½ cup  garlic (minced)
1 cup  onions (diced)
1 cup   celery (diced)
2 cups  port wine
2 cups   red wine (dry)
2 cups   canned tomato purée
4 cups   brown veal stock
1 bunch  each  rosemary, thyme and sage (tied together with butchers twine)
To taste  dry oregano, salt and crushed black peppers

Method:

Season lamb with salt, pepper and oregano, and dust with all-purpose flour. In a large oven proof sauté pan, brown the meat on both sides in 2oz hot olive oil - remove from pan and set aside. To the pan, add in an additional 2 oz of olive oil and the pancetta. Sauté until crisp.  Add in the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook until golden brown.  Add in both wines and reduce by half.  Add the tomato purée, veal stock, tied herbs and lamb shanks. Bring to a boil. Remove from the pan from the burner, cover the pan with a cover or foil (if you are not using an ovenproof pan, carefully transfer the meat and liquid to a roasting pan) and continue to cook in pre-heated 375° F oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until fork tender. When the lamb is done, remove the meat from the pan and continue to cook the sauce until it is rich and thick.  Serve with the shanks. Lamb shanks can be served with garbanzo beans (as pictured), potatoes, or pasta.