Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Red Wine

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the words “Comfort Food”. There’s something about browning a piece of lamb, beef, or pork and then slow roasting it in a bath of flavorful juice and herbs that calls to my soul and warms my heart.

Lamb shanks are one of those cuts that aren’t always easy to find in my neck of the woods but luckily I’m able to find them around the holidays. These are a meaty, inexpensive (comparatively, as lamb goes) cut of lamb that’s worth your money and effort.

Braised Lamb Shanks in Garlic and Red Wine Recipe

The only special cookware you need here is a heavy pan or stockpot large and deep enough to fit the shanks and then be able to cover them, either with a lid or tightly-wrapped aluminum foil.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Lamb shanks (about 3 lbs. total) patted dry with paper towels
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 medium-size celery stalks, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 14.5 oz. low -sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• For serving:
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325°

Directions

• Heat pan on the stovetop over medium heat then add the olive oil and butter.
• Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt if you’re not using low-sodium broth).
• When the butter has melted and is bubbling, add the lamb shanks.
• Brown shanks well on all sides for about 15 minutes – this will go faster on higher heat or longer on lower heat.
• Remove browned shanks to a plate.
• Add garlic, celery, and onion and cook until everything starts to lightly brown, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, wine, chicken broth, and herbs and bring to a boil.
• Return lamb shanks and any juices on the plate back to the pan.
• Remove from heat and place lid on the pan (or cover tightly with aluminum foil)
• Place in preheated oven and cook for about 2 hours, until meat is almost fork-tender.
• Remove lid or foil, increase heat to 450° and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Now there are 2 options for serving this: either serve the shanks with the sauce as is, with lemon zest, mint, and parsley sprinkled over the top OR remove the shanks to a dish, puree the sauce for a few minutes with an immersion blender, and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Plate the shanks, spoon the strained sauce over it, and then sprinkle with zest, mint, and parsley as I’ve pictured in my post here.

The garlic, wine, herbs and lemon zest are a fantastic combination here. And you can also make substitutions depending on what you have on hand:

• For a “beefier” sauce, use beef broth instead of chicken broth
• If you don’t have red wine on hand (gasp!) you can substitute a number of things, including beef broth, beer (preferably dark but hey, it all works), or white wine.
• Feel free to change up the herbs but I highly recommend the lemon zest as a finishing touch; it really brightens up the entire dish.

That’s it! Easy braised lamb shanks that’s mostly hands-off for a couple of hours. I served mine with a side of pureed turnips (the last from my garden!) but feel free to toss some potatoes and/or other root veggies into the pan while they shanks are cooking. Roasted asparagus or green beans make a perfect side as well.

Enjoy!