Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 2.5 hours
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions

๐‘†๐‘’๐‘Ž๐‘ ๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘š๐‘ ๐‘ โ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘˜๐‘ : Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
๐ต๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘ค๐‘› ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘š๐‘ ๐‘ โ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘˜๐‘ : In a large heavy-based pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in batches until browned all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the lamb to a plate and drain any excess fat from the pot if necessary.
๐‘†๐‘Ž๐‘ข๐‘ก๐‘’ฬ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘๐‘ : Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Then, add the chopped carrots and celery, cooking for another 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
๐‘ƒ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘™๐‘–๐‘ž๐‘ข๐‘–๐‘‘: Pour in the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add the sprigs of thyme and bay leaves, stirring to combine.
๐ด๐‘‘๐‘‘ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘š๐‘ ๐‘ โ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘˜๐‘ : Return the lamb shanks to the pot, arranging them so they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
๐‘†๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” (2 โ„Ž๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘‘): Increase the stove heat to bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours.
๐น๐‘–๐‘›๐‘–๐‘ โ„Ž ๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘‘ (30 ๐‘š๐‘–๐‘›๐‘ข๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘ ): Remove the lid and continue cooking in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. The meat should be ultra tender but still clinging to the bone. If not, cover and continue cooking until desired tenderness is achieved.
๐‘ƒ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘ข๐‘๐‘’: Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and keep warm. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Use a hand blender to blitz the vegetables into the sauce. If needed, simmer sauce over medium heat until the sauce reaches a slightly syrupy consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
๐‘†๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฃ๐‘’: Serve the lamb shanks over mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree, generously spooning the sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.