Braised lamb shanks

September 9, 2015 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)

Ask the butcher for smaller shanks – they tend to be less stringy and require less cooking time.

TO DRINK: Boschendal Reserve Shiraz, made to the French style with an emphasis on elegance and spice, would be my desert island wine – if there was meat on the island…

Print Recipe

Braised lamb shanks

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 2 hours 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 6 lamb shanks
  • 50ml olive oil, for frying
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 45ml (3 tbsp) tomato paste
  • a handful of mixed fresh rosemary
  • and thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 250ml (1 cup) red wine
  • 1 x 410g tin chopped tomatoes

Instructions

1

Remove any excess fat from the lamb and trim the meat away to expose the bone. Reserve the meat trimmings.

2

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil then plunge the shanks into the water for 1 – 2 minutes. This helps the meat to retract around the bone and keeps it intact during cooking.

3

Heat the oil in a large casserole or saucepan. Season the shanks and trimmings and brown in the olive oil. Add the vegetables and brown them slightly.

4

Add the garlic, tomato paste, mixed herbs, bay leaves, red wine, tomatoes and enough water to cover the meaty part of the shanks. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours, to the point where the meat is almost falling off the bone.

 

 

More From FHE:

September 9, 2015 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019) By
Send this to a friend