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Lamb Shanks with Skyr

Lamb shank with Skyr is a lamb shanks recipe shared down the generations in my family! Video and Tips for cooking lamb shanks with skyr.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 497 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean , Middle Eastern , Turkish

Ingredients

Lamb:
  • 6 lamb shanks - American Lamb
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper ground
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 grated onions water only--see notes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 onions cut in half
  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 3 whole cardamoms
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 cups stock
Skyr Sauce
  • 2 cups Icelandic Provisions Traditional Plain Skyr
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • ¼ cup fresh dill minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
Garnish
  • Fresh parsley and dill
  • pomegranate arils
  • toasted pine nuts
  • cracked black pepper

Notes

  • Choose American Lamb for best tasting and freshest lamb.
  • Use a large bowl to toss the lamb shanks in the flavoring ingredients well.
  • The onion water adds so much flavor without the risk of burning bits of onions in your recipe (which can offer a bitter taste to the lamb).
  • Salting the grated onion and letting it sit down for a few minutes before squeezing out the water is optimal.
  • The lamb shanks don’t need to marinade, they’re flavorful enough, however you can let them marinade for 2 hours and upto 12.
  • Adding whole spice and halved onion and garlic is key to infusing the cooking liquid.
  • Skyr sauce can be made ahead of time.
  • You can serve this recipe with rice or mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, or a simple salad.
  • This plate makes a great holiday dinner option!
  • You can choose to sear the lamb shanks or not in this recipe. Browning on all sides is optional but it can help keep your lamb shanks looking neater and more uniform once cooked if this is important.
  • If you want less fuss in cooking your lamb shanks then you can leave searing your lamb shanks.
  • Skyr is a cultured dairy product similar to yogurt but it is not the same. It’s made with lower fat milk, such as skimmed milk. Rennet is also added and the milk curd is reduced down. One cup of skyr uses 4 cups of milk to make.
  • Skyr and Greek Yogurt may seem as if they are almost the same but there is are key differences between the two.Greek yogurt is made from fermented, strained yogurt which is what gives it its thickness. It usually takes 3 cups of milk to make 1 cup of Greek yogurt. On the other hand, Skyr is made with specific Skyr cultures and is even more strained than Greek yogurt. It takes 4 cups of milk to make 1 cup of Skyr, making it a thicker, creamier and nutrient dense than Greek yogurt.