Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
624 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce
Description
This recipe for Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce features browning seasoned lamb shanks in olive oil, then slowly braising them in a combination of red wine, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs like thyme and bay leaves. The lamb is nestled mostly submerged in the flavorful sauce and cooked in the oven for about two hours until tender and tender enough to fall off the bone.
The sauce is built from the "holy trinity" of onion, carrot, and celery, which are sautéed to release sweetness before deglazing with wine and adding tomatoes and broth. The red wine used should be full-bodied but affordable, as cooking softens alcohol and deepens flavor. The sauce can be strained for a smooth, glossy finish, or pureed for a thicker texture. Variations like slow cooking or pressure cooking are also possible.
Serve the lamb shanks over creamy sides such as mashed potatoes, polenta, or pureed cauliflower to soak up the rich sauce. Fresh thyme sprigs garnish and brighten the presentation. The lamb develops best flavor with slow cooking; leftovers improve in taste if reheated the next day.
Adjust cooking times depending on the size of the shanks, allowing up to three hours for very tender results. If sauce appears sour, a small amount of sugar or honey can balance acidity. If you lack a suitable pot, transfer the braising liquid and shanks to a baking dish covered with foil to cook in the oven. The sauce also freezes well for future use.
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shank around 13 oz / 400g each (Note 1
- 1 tsp salt cooking/kosher
- 1 tsp black pepper cooking/kosher
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 1 onion , finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 cup carrot , peeled, finely diced (Note 2)
- 1 cup celery , finely diced (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 cups red wine (full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
- 800 g / 28oz crushed tomatoes canned
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or water)
- 5 thyme preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme, sprigs
- 2 bay leaves or 4 fresh, dried
To Serve:
- potato polenta or pureed cauliflower, mashed
- thyme optional garnish, fresh leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types - fan and standard).
- Season shanks - Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brown - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
- Sauté aromatics - Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
- Braising liquid - Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Add shanks - Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
- Oven 2 hours covered - Turn stove up, bring liquid to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for other cook methods).
- Uncovered 30 minutes - Remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb meat is ultra tender - if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
- Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
- Sauce - Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies (Note 5 for repurposing the veggies). Pour strained sauce back into pot. If needed, bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency (see video) - I rarely need to. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste (Note 5 on sauce taste).
- Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.
Notes
- Choose lamb shanks approximately 13 oz (400 g) each to fit your cooking vessel; they should be mostly submerged in the sauce.
- Cooking time is about 2.5 to 3 hours at 180°C (350°F) for tender, fall-apart meat; plan accordingly for meal timing.
- If you lack a large pot, transfer shanks and sauce to a covered baking dish for oven braising.
- Use full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot; avoid light wines such as Pinot Noir.
- The sauce can be strained for a smooth finish or pureed for thicker texture; leftover sauce is great for pasta or lasagna.
- For non-alcoholic variation, substitute red wine with beef broth, water, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Leftover lamb and sauce taste better when reheated the following day.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 624 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 624cal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 42g | 84% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 117mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 1260mg | 53% |
| Potassium | 1590mg | 34% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 6022IU | 120% |
| Vitamin C | 26mg | 29% |
| Calcium | 133mg | 13% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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