Your new family supper dish is Braised Lamb Shanks which are delicious and fall off the bone. contains four culinary techniques!
In pubs and restaurants throughout Australia, slow-cooked lamb shanks are a year-round family favorite. The meat just melts off the bone when simmered in a rich red wine sauce with a Bourguignon influence! (Braised Lamb Shanks)
You decide how to prepare them! On the stove, in a slow cooker, in an Instant Pot, or in the oven (pressure cooker). Whichever one you select, you won’t be sorry!
Braised Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks are a cheap cut of meat that begs to be cooked slowly. This difficult lamb cut becomes the softest, luscious, fall-off-the-bone meat thanks to slow cooking, and the rich, complex flavor of the gravy is enhanced.
You’ll have a delectable stew cooking in your kitchen made using components you already own, such as garlic, onions, beef stock, herbs, and tomato sauce (tomato puree).
A stew of lamb shanks that are slowly cooking is the ideal Sunday afternoon meal. With this particular dish, you should take your time and enjoy a glass or two of wine while waiting for it to be ready for your dinner table.
How to cook Braised Lamb Shanks slowly?
A few more ingredients have been added to our outstanding lamb dish, which was inspired by our Beef Bourguignon.
No matter which cooking method you select from the recipe below, there are 5 simple tasks you need to complete first:
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SEAR
: Browning the meat first when making stews (such as pot roast, beef bourguignon, or chicken au vin) results in the best flavor development and builds flavor layers from the start. Due to their uneven form, browning lamb shanks might take up to 10 minutes, but the results are well worth the wait.
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AROMATICS
: The same oil is used to sauté onions, carrots, and garlic, and pan juices from the shanks guarantee that the flavors continue to meld.
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FLOUR
: Facilitates the stew’s ability to thicken while it cooks.
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LIQUIDS
: To submerge the shanks, flavor them, and tenderize the meat, wine, stock, and tomato puree are added.
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HERBS
: Bay leaves, parsley, and rosemary round out the flavor of this sauce. You can use your preferred herb mix in this recipe, or you can omit the herbs entirely. Here, thyme and oregano work wonderfully.
Which wine should I use?
For this dish of lamb shanks, which was inspired by our Beef Bourguignon, I suggest a high-quality dry red wine. Because we adore cooking with Pinot Noir, we always use a $15–$20 bottle.
You can use any dry red you have on hand, but this one produces our favorite flavor when cooking and isn’t overpowering.
Though it needn’t be pricey, strive to purchase a high-quality brand.
What is a good accompaniment to Braised Lamb Shanks?
Lamb shanks pair perfectly with buttery cauliflower mash, sweet potatoes, or creamy mashed potatoes!
Lamb shanks go well with basic spaghetti or rice. Use anything to drizzle the gravy or sauce over everything. Because this dish is very flavorful, a relatively simple side dish is required.
How to make the gravy thicker?
To transform the liquid into a glossy, thick gravy, simmer it for around 10 minutes.
Or, to save time, stir 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of the prepared sauce until all the lumps are gone. The sauce should be simmering as you add the slurry; mix briskly until combined.
Pour over your lamb shanks to serve after letting simmer for 4–5 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.
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 1/2-inch thick
- 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 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
METHOD FOR THE OVEN:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lamb shanks should be washed and dried with paper towels.
- A heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tablespoon of oil in it is heated to medium-high heat. Two shanks are browned on all sides after being seared in hot oil. Repeat with the remaining oil and shanks.
- To keep warm, transfer to a platter and cover with foil.
- After cooking the carrots and diced onions in the pan juices for about 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook it for 1 minute more.
- Add the shanks back into the saucepan and season with 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. To brown the flour, sprinkle it on, mix well, and heat for 4–5 minutes.
- Wine, bouillon, puree, tomato paste, stock, and herbs should be added. On the stove, heat to a simmer.
- Cook the beef for 2 1/2 hours, covered, in the lower section of the oven, or until it is soft enough to fall apart (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
- Gently place the shanks on a plate and cover them with a tent to keep warm.
- Place the sauce saucepan on the burner and throw away the bay leaves. Over medium heat, simmer the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Optional: skim any extra fat that appears on the surface.
- *If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. You should be left with about 3 cups of sauce that is thick enough to gently coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is too thin, boil it for about 10 minutes at medium heat to reduce it to the proper thickness. (See the thickening notes.)
- Taste the food for seasoning and, if necessary, add more salt or pepper. Reintroduce the shanks to the sauce in the pot.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta and garnish with parsley.
- Allow the dish to cool completely before covering and storing it in the fridge to be served the next day.
- Remove from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving the next day. Place in a medium-low oven and slowly simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, basting the vegetables and shanks with the sauce.
NUTRITION
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5890IU | Vitamin C: 20.1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3.5mg