Mouth watering is an easy way to describe these braised lamb shanks
Give them the time they need to slowly simmer and you’ll have melt-in the-mouth lamb.
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 2hrs
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
- 4 frenched lamb shanks
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 8 whole baby brown onions, peeled
- 4 stalks rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- ½ cups red wine
- 1½ cups beef stock
- mashed potato and steamed green vegetables to serve
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and mix well. Dust lamb shanks in the seasoned flour, shake off excess.
Heat a large frypan over a medium high heat, add a little oil. Brown the lamb shanks well on all sides. Remove and place them in a small roasting dish or large casserole dish.
Reduce heat in pan and add a little extra oil, add the baby onions, cook for 1 minute, stir occasionally. Add rosemary and garlic, stir for 30 seconds.
Gradually pour in the combined wine and stock. Stir until the mixture boils. Pour over the lamb shanks. Cover the dish tightly with its lid or foil, place in oven. Cook for 1½-2 hours or lamb shanks are very tender. Turn the shanks occasionally and adjust the heat as it cooks if needed. You may need to add a little beef stock or water if it appears too dry. Serve shanks with a spoonful of the thickened sauce and mashed potato and green vegetables (beans and sugar snap peas).
Cooktop method: Place the browned lamb shanks and other ingredients in a heavy-based pot. Partially cover, keep the heat low. Simmer until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally; add water if needed during the cooking time to keep ingredients well covered.
TIPS
- Simmer the lamb shanks gently and taste them to see if they’re ready. When it’s done the meat should be tender enough to fall from the bone with a fork.
- Best lamb cuts for or casseroling or braising: diced lamb forequarter, forequarter chops, shanks, frenched shanks, neck chops, lamb topside, leg (bone-in), shoulder (bone-in), easy carve (leg or shoulder bone out), boned and rolled shoulder or leg
- To cook in a Slow Cooker:
- Brown the lamb shanks well and place in the slow cooker. Place the baby onions, rosemary and garlic in to the slow cooker with the lamb shanks. Add the wine and stock. You may need to add a little beef stock or water if it appears that the liquid does not cover the lamb and onions. Cover the slow cooker with its lid, cook on Low Setting for 8-10 hours or the High Setting for 4-5 hours.
Find this recipe and more at Beef & Lamb
