One of the most flavorful cuts of lamb is the shank—the part of the leg from the knee down (see here). Because this cut is initially tough, it requires long, slow cooking before transforming into one of the tenderest meats. My Braised Lamb Shanks recipe requires many ingredients and must be cooked both on top of the stove and in the oven.
Despite these minor drawbacks, Braised Lamb Shanks are really quite easy to make and are very impressive to serve to guests. The price of lamb has regrettably become outrageous. The shank, though not cheap, is one of the least expensive cuts.
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The shanks may be cut from either the forelegs or hind legs, which are larger and meatier. The ones I’ve used are from the hind legs and provide a very hearty meal.
Raw shanks.
Dry the lamb shanks in paper towels so they will brown better. Season each shank with salt and pepper. In a very large Dutch oven with a lid, heat enough vegetable oil for frying. Add the lamb shanks in batches, and brown well on all sides.
Brown the shanks.
Remove the shanks to a platter.
Remove the browned shanks.
Discard the browning fat.
Coarsely chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic cloves. Over low flame, heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the oil, and cook until softened and very lightly browned. In the last 2 minutes, add the garlic, making certain it does not burn. Add the tomato paste, and cook for 3 more minutes.
Cook the vegetables.
Add 2 cups of red wine and bring to the boil. Pour in 4 cups of the beef stock, and add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, celery leaves, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns. Reduce the heat to the simmer. Submerge the lamb shanks into the liquid, and cover the Dutch oven. The liquid should cover at least 2/3 of the shanks. If it doesn’t, add the extra cup of wine and beef stock
Submerge the shanks in the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 325°. Place the covered pot, in the oven and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is fork tender and nearly at the point of falling off the bone. Every half hour, rearrange the shanks so that all of them spend some time completely submerged in the liquid. Remove the lamb shanks to a platter and cover with foil while you make the sauce.
Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl or pot, pressing down on the vegetables in the stainer to extract as much flavor as possible.
Strain the vegetables.
Allow the liquid to cool so that the fat, which is considerable, rises to the top. The best way to achieve this is to refrigerate the liquid. After an hour or so, the fat will have risen to the top, and you can skim it off with paper towels. If you you have time to leave it longer, the fat will congeal, and you can remove it with a spoon, as I’ve done here.
Scrape off the fat.
Return the liquid to the Dutch oven.
Boil the stock for about 5 minutes to concentrate the flavor, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of arrowroot in 2 tablespoons of Madeira or red wine. (If you don’t have arrowroot, you could substitute cornstarch, though arrowroot is preferable.) Whisk this mixture into the simmering liquid.
Check for the thickness of the stock. You don’t want a thick sauce for these Braised Lamb Shanks, but rather a slightly viscous texture. The degree of thickness will depend on how much cooking liquid you have. If it is not thickened to your taste, add more of the arrowroot and Madeira mixture.
Stir in the balsamico and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Taste for salt and pepper. If needed, add the extra teaspoon of sugar. It’s difficult to provide exact measurements for the amount of stock, wine, and thickener because everything depends on the size of your lamb shanks.
Return the lamb shanks to the sauce, cover, and simmer on top of the stove until the shanks are very hot.
Serve one Braised Lamb Shank person, ladling a little sauce over each. Pass the remaining sauce in a separate bowl.
