Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce
A classic way to prepare shanks, these are slow cooked in a deeply flavoured red wine sauce until they are meltingly tender.
Marthinus StrydomThe Story
Most shank recipes are tied to very specific regions and cultures. Veal shank recipes are most common to Italy, Germany and France. Lamb shank recipes most often come from people who raise sheep for wool. The British and Commonwealth countries eat both mutton and lamb and the shanks are called "trotters".
More about Italy
Italy is one of those countries about which you probably have quite a number of preconceptions before you have put one foot into the country. A country of olive oil and mafia, pasta, wine and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces, Italy has a lot to offer its visitors. Although some of these images are appealing, it would be a shame if that was the only thing you come away with. Italy is certainly much more complex and interesting than that.
Subscripe to my Facebook page.
Subscripe to my Youtube channel.
© All recipes are copyright protected by TheCultureCook.com unless the recipe was adapated from another source. All recipes are uniquely crafted and adapted by TheCultureCook.com. Copyright of some or all of the text reside with the original author.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types - fan and standard).
- Season shanks - Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brown - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
- Sauté aromatics - Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
- Braising liquid - Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Add shanks - Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged.
- Oven 2 hours covered - Turn stove up, bring liquid to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
- Uncovered 30 minutes - Remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb meat is ultra tender - if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
- Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
- Sauce - Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies. Pour strained sauce back into pot. If needed, bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency - I rarely need to. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.
