Braised Lamb Shanks

Slow cooked lamb shanks are a family favourite dinner ordered at restaurants and pubs all over Australia year round. Simmered in a rich, Bourguignon inspired red wine sauce, the meat just slides off the bone! You choose how to cook them! In the oven, on the stove, in a slow cooker or Instant pot (pressure cooker). Whichever one you choose, you will not be disappointed!

LAMB SHANK

Lamb shanks are an inexpensive cut of meat begging to be slow cooked. Slow cooking turns this tough cut of lamb into the most tender, succulent, fall off the bone meat, while creating a luxurious depth of flavour in this delicious gravy. Along with ingredients you already have on hand, like garlic, onions, beef stock, herbs and tomato sauce (tomato puree), you’ll have a heavenly stew simmering in your kitchen. The perfect Sunday afternoon is a slow cooking pot of lamb shanks. This is one recipe where you want to take your time cooking, while enjoying a glass of wine or two waiting for its arrival to your dinner table.

HOW TO SLOW COOK LAMB SHANKS

Inspired by our Beef Bourguignon, we’ve added one or two extra ingredients to make a spectacular lamb recipe. No matter which cooking method you choose from the recipe below, your starting point consists of 5 easy steps:

SEAR: When cooking stews (like Slow Cooked Balsamic Pot Roast, Beef Bourguignon or Chicken Au Vin), the best flavour develops when browning the meat first, creating layers of flavours right from the beginning. Browning lamb shanks can take up to 10 minutes with their uneven shape, but it’s worth every minute in the end results. AROMATICS: Onions, carrots and garlic are cooked in the same oil and pan juices left behind from the shanks ensure the flavours continue to develop. FLOUR: Allows the stew to thicken while it cooks. LIQUIDS: Wine, stock and tomato puree are added to submerge the shanks, give them flavour and tenderise the meat. HERBS: Rosemary, parsley and bay leaves complete the flavours in this sauce. This recipe is very versatile in that you can use your favourite herb combination, or leave them out all together. Thyme and oregano work well here!

WHAT WINE CAN I USE:

Inspired by our Beef Bourguignon, I recommend a good quality dry red for this lamb shanks recipe. We always use a $15-$20 bottle of Pinot Noir as we love cooking with that particular wine. It’s not too strong and yields our favourite flavour when cooking, but you can use any dry red you have on hand. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but try to get a good quality brand.

WHAT DO YOU SERVE WITH BRAISED LAMB SHANKS?

Lamb shanks go so well with creamy Easy Creamy Mashed potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes or a buttery cauliflower mash! You can also serve lamb shanks with plain rice or pasta. Anything to drizzle all the gravy/sauce with. There is so much flavour here, you need a fairly plain side to go with it.

HOW TO THICKEN THE GRAVY

Simmer the liquid for about 10 minutes to turn it into a glossy, thick gravy. Or to cheat time, mix 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of the sauce from the pot until completely dissolved. Pour the slurry into the simmering sauce, stirring quickly until completely blended. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency, and pour all over your lamb shanks to serve!