Lamb Shanks are an easy delicious meal for any night of the week. They are slow braised in the oven in a delicious red wine braising liquid.
Shanks are one of the most succulent cuts of meat on an animal, when slow cooked. You have to be patient and wait for it though.
The shanks contain a lot of connective tissue and sinew, it is hard to even cut up before cooking. But, when braised, low and slow all of that connective tissue breaks up, leaving in it’s wake, one of the most flavorful and tender pieces of meat on the animal.
What you need
- lamb shanks
- onion
- celery
- carrot
- salt
- pepper
For the braising liquid
- red wine, don’t buy a really expensive bottle.
- beef or veal stock
- fresh parsley
- fresh rosemary
Pro tips for tender lamb shanks
Make sure that you brown the meat thoroughly. The browning process is what will impart most of flavor to this dish.
A note on the wine. You do not need an expensive wine when slow cooking meats, like this Venison Shank or Venison Stew. A cheap 10 bottle will give you just as much flavor as a 50 dollar. Any drinkable wine will work. I would not use cooking wine because they are usually loaded with salt and preservatives. The NY Times agrees!
How to make it
- Brown lamb on all sides in oven proof skillet, that has a lid.
- Remove lamb and saute vegetables until soft.
- De-glaze the pan with red wine.
- Add stock and herbs.
- Place lamb back in the skillet and cover.
- Braise lamb at 250°F for about 2-3 hours until very tender.
Remove lamb from braising liquid and set aside. Thicken sauce with cornstarch slurry, cook and stir over medium heat, until thickened. Add lamb back into the gravy to reheat. Serve.
Other delicious lamb recipes
Tools I use to make lamb shank
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That’s how easy it is to make these easy lamb shanks. Thanks for stopping by today!
Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
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📖 Recipe
Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 lamb shanks
- 3/4 cup Onion chopped
- 3/4 cup carrot chopped
- 3/4 cup Celery chopped
- 1 cup red wine Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, burgundy, etc.
- 3 cups beef stock can use veal, beef or vegetable stock, use low sodium
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme preferably, fresh
- 3 bay leaf
Instructions
- Remove shanks from refrigerator 1 hour before continuing with recipe to allow meat to come up to room temperature.
- Start oven at 250°F.
- Melt butter and olive oil together in Dutch oven.
- Brown shanks on all sides. Remove to plate.
- Add onions, carrot and celery to pan, if needed add more oil or butter. Saute vegetables, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Once golden brown, add red wine and continue to scrape bottom of pan.
- Add stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil.
- Add lamb back to Dutch oven. Cover. Braise for 2½-3 hours until shanks are very tender. Twist meat with fork. If it separates easily, the meat is done. Internal temperature should be at least 190°F.
- Remove from oven and remove shanks to a plate.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to a small bowl. Mix in enough water to incorporate all of cornstarch. (Quantities are not crucial.) Cook over low heat until sauce is thickened, dark and glossy. Add shanks back to sauce.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetable.
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Kelley
My husband loves lamb and has declared this his new favorite!
Beth Neels
Oh, great! I’m glad he likes it! We do too! Thanks Kelley!
Tisha
This braised lamb looks so tender and perfect for dinner!
Beth Neels
Thanks Tisha! Give it a try!
Tawnie Kroll
What a comforting meal, everyone loved it! So easy to make too!
Beth Neels
I’m so glad your family enjoyed it! Thanks so much Tawnie!
Monica
You are so right – slow cooking is just the only way to go for some cuts of meat! The results can’t be beat, and if you’re lucky enough to have the time, it really is a great way to get a terrific meal with only a little effort up front. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Beth Neels
No doubt! Thanks so much for the comment Monica!
Ashley
Oh my!! My dad will love this recipe!!
Beth Neels
Make it for him Ashley! Thanks for checking it out!