Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Lamb shanks on mashed peas and potatoes in a black bowl.

No ratings yet

Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Slow-roasted lamb shanks in red wine sauce are the pinnacle of lamb dishes. With minimal hands-on preparation and 'set and forget' slow cooking, this fail-proof braised lamb shank recipe is perfect for special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Caro Jensen

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks 12 oz (340g) each
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil heat-resistant
1 yellow onion diced
2 carrots sliced
1 celery stick sliced
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tsp of fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 dried bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef stock or lamb stock
14 oz diced tomatoes or crushed
1 tbsp cornflour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
Take the lamb shanks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking them to bring them down to room temperature if possible. Remove excess fat and cut through the tendon that connects the meat to the bone at the bottom of the shank to allow the meat to bunch up during cooking. Season the shanks generously with salt and ground black pepper.
4 lamb shanks, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Sear two lamb shanks at a time, turning them after 3 minutes which adds extra flavor to the dish. Repeat with the other two and set aside.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Add another tablespoon of oil if needed followed by the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the same pan. Cook until softened for about 5 minutes.
1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 1 celery stick, 4 garlic cloves
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom (that's where all the deep flavors are stored). Add the tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, chili flakes, bay leaf, lamb stock (or beef stock), and diced tomatoes. Bring it to a simmer to combine all flavors and heat the sauce through, about 5 minutes.
2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups red wine, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp red chili flakes, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 1/2 cups beef stock, 14 oz diced tomatoes
Place the browned lamb shanks into a large Dutch oven or casserole dish (8x12 inches) and pour the sauce over them. They will be about half submerged. Cover the dish with a double layer of aluminum foil and slow roast the shanks for 2 hours. Turn the shanks over 1 hour into the slow roasting them.
The lamb shanks are done when the meat is fork-tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Remove them carefully with a large spoon or tongs as they will be very tender. Cover with foil and set aside.
Strain the sauce through a sieve into a large saucepan or pan (or keep the vegetables if you prefer a chunkier sauce but remove the bay leaf). Reduce the sauce by half on medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
To thicken the sauce, make a slurry by combining the cornflour with 2 tbsp of the sauce. Add the slurry to the sauce slowly while stirring to avoid any lumps forming. Pour it through a sieve if any did form to create a super silky sauce.
1 tbsp cornflour
Serve the lamb shanks over creamy mashed potatoes and peas. Cover generously with the red wine sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Rest up: Resting the cooked shanks for 10-15 minutes allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in more tender, flavorful meat.

Storage: You can keep cooked lamb shanks in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days if you store them in an airtight container. For longer storage, you can freeze cooked shanks for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.

Nutrition