Easy Braised Lamb Shanks
Submitted by NancyPeponis
Easy braised lamb shanks slow-cooked in red wine, tomato, and stock until the meat falls off the bone, then finished with a reduced, glossy pan sauce. A rustic, restaurant-worthy lamb dinner that mostly cooks itself.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsLamb shanks are one of those cuts that turn magical with time and low heat. Tough and sinewy when raw, they braise slowly into meltingly tender meat that slides clean off the bone, all for relatively little hands-on work.
The first step earns its keep. Brown the lamb shanks hard on all sides before they go into the pot. That deep sear builds the savory, caramelized foundation the whole braise rests on.
From there it’s a fragrant bath of red wine, tomato, carrots, garlic, herbs, and a pinch of allspice, simmered low in a covered casserole until the meat surrenders, an hour and a half to two.
The finishing move is what makes it restaurant-worthy: strain the braising liquid and boil it down by half into a concentrated, glossy sauce, with a touch of arrowroot to bring it to a spoon-coating finish poured over the shanks.
Chef Tips
- Brown the shanks thoroughly and don’t crowd the pan. A good sear is where the deepest flavor lives.
- Keep the braise at a low, steady simmer. A hard boil makes the meat stringy instead of silky.
- They’re ready when the meat pulls from the bone with no resistance, so give them the full time.
- Make it a day ahead; the flavor deepens overnight and you can lift off the solidified fat before reheating.
Variations
- Add rosemary, bay, or a strip of orange zest to the braise for extra aroma.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or couscous to soak up the sauce.
- Swap the wine for extra stock and a splash of balsamic for an alcohol-free braise.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat half of the olive oil in a heavy flame-proof casserole.
Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, carrots, tomatoes, wine, stock, herbs, allspice and seasoning.
Bring to the boil.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and brown the lamb shanks on all sides.
Add the lamb to the casserole, cover and cook in a preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring from time to time, until the meat comes away from the bone easily.
Lower the oven temperature.
Lift the lamb shanks out of the casserole and place in an oven-proof dish; keep warm in the oven.
Strain the sauce into a saucepan and boil steadily until reduced by about half.
Add the arrowroot to thicken the sauce slightly if necessary and heat, stirring, until thickened.
Place the lamb on a warmed serving plate and pour on the sauce.
Garnish with thyme and serve.
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