Braised Lamb Shanks
Rating
Tender, fall off the bone lamb shanks braised in a luxurious red wine gravy is your new family dinner recipe! includes 4 cooking methods!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 4 - 6 lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat
- 1 large white onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1½ cups red wine like Merlot Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- optional. Substitute with extra stock).
- 14 oz (400 g) passata (tomato puree or American tomato sauce)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 beef bouillon cubes crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped (divided)
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- OVEN METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Wash and pat dry lamb shanks with paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear two shanks in the hot oil until browned on all sides. Repeat with remaining shanks and oil.
- Transfer to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, set aside.
- To the pan juices, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Return the shanks back into the pot; season with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown the flour.
- Add stock, wine, puree, tomato paste, bouillon and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
- Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and cook for 2½ hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
- Gently transfer the shanks onto a plate; tent to keep warm.
- Discard the bay leaves from the sauce and place pot onto stove. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened to your desired consistency.
- OPTIONAL: skim off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
- You should be left with about 3 cups of sauce thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- *If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency. (See notes about thickening.)
- Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Add the shanks back into the pot of sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.
- To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate.
- The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 - 15 minutes, basting the shanks and vegetables with the sauce.
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