Wine–Braised Lamb Shanks is one of the very first dishes I ever made for Ron.
A good Scottish boy loves his lamb. As you might have guessed, I’m not an experienced cook when it comes to meat, and was even less so back then, so when Ron first asked me to prepare lamb shanks, I just printed out a recipe and followed it to the letter. I braised the lamb shanks on the stovetop in red wine – probably Steele Zinfandel. I don’t remember the dish being very tasty, but it wasn’t inedible. King Ronald was very happy. I don’t know if he was actually happy with the lamb shanks, but he was very happy with me, someone who was willing to cook them for him.
So, no surprise, I’ve tried preparing them a few times since. What has been surprising to me is that I’ve had difficulty sourcing big, meaty shanks. Many butchers don’t carry them at all. We’ve purchased lamb shanks from a local farmer, and not only were they flavorless, even after simmering away in a heady wine sauce, they were also quite small. You want the lamb to be so tender that it’s falling off of the bone, but if there’s more bone than lamb, it’s quite disappointing, even for Ron.
The surprises continue – I found large, lovely lamb shanks at BJ’s! So it was imperative that I buy them, and it was imperative that I turn them into the tender, unctuous, fit-for-a-king, feast that we knew that they could be, should be. Each bite to be savored – tender, meaty morsels in a fragrant, silky sauce, dredged through a pool of polenta or served alongside a mound of mashed potatoes. Add some steamed broccoli, butter-poached Brussels sprouts, or buttered peas. Even royals must eat their vegetables. The final surprise is no surprise at all – I may actually love Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks (for Two), too!
Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks for Two
Equipment
- heavy-bottomed pot with lid, that can go from stovetop to oven
- fat separator
Ingredients
- 2-4 large, meaty lamb shanks
- 1 T salt
- 1 t pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh rosemary (plus more for garnish)
- 1 carrot
- 1 large celery stalk
- ½ large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 T olive oil
- 3 T tomato paste
- 1 cup fruity red wine (I prefer merlot)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions (optional)
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 T water
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Dry brine the shanks – Combine the salt and pepper. Dry the shanks and rub them all over with the salt and pepper mixture, to coat. Wrap each shank in plastic wrap with a few sprigs of rosemary. Stash in the refrigerator for not less than 8 hours, and up to overnight.
- Preheat oven and prep the veg – Preheat the oven to 350℉. Trim and cut the carrots and celery into a fine dice. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and roughly chop or smash the garlic with the side of your knife.
- Sauté the veg – Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pot along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the veggies until soft (about 10 minutes).
- Build the braising liquid – Add the garlic and cook until fragrant then add the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine to the pot and turn the heat to high. With a wooden spoon, scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil for 2 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Braise – Unwrap the lamb shanks, brush off any excess salt. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and black pepper to the pot and stir well, then nestle the shanks into the braising liquid, so that their shoulders are sticking out. Cover, and place the pot into the oven and cook for 3 hours, or until fork tender and pulling away from the bone. Chop the parsley and thaw the pearl onions (if using) while the lamb is in the oven.
- Finish – Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and tent them with foil on a plate. Use a fat separator to strain the solids and defat the sauce. Taste, and if needed, season with more salt and pepper. If using, add the thawed pearl onions and cook on low heat until they're warmed through. Whisk the cornstarch and water together and stir into the sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat.
EQUIPMENT NOTE: If you don’t already have one, you might want to invest in a fat separator with a bottom release (link to Amazon). It’s endorsed by America’s Test Kitchen, and not only does it do the trick, it’s very easy to clean. It makes the nasty job of removing fat from a sauce a quick and easy process.
If you’d like to be notified when new posts are added to this site, please subscribe below, and be sure to click through on the email you receive to confirm your subscription. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder.