Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes! If you have the time over the weekend, this recipe for Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks is sure to impress! It’s relatively easy to put together, it just needs a few hours to slow braise. In the meantime, your house will smell amazing and you will be eagerly awaiting dinner!
If you are a fan of lamb like I am, the shanks are my favorite cut. Searing them first gives them a beautiful crust and is definitely a must. Not trying to rhyme, it just happened! Slow braising them with vegetables, tomato paste, broth & red wine gives a richness to the dish that has tremendous depth of flavor. Serve them with roasted root vegetables or roasted carrots with cumin, cayenne & maple syrup, they make the perfect side dish. You also can’t go wrong serving this dish on top of a mound of creamy mashed potatoes to capture all of the amazing juices as well! I hope you enjoy my recipe for these Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks as much as I do. It’s the perfect winter comfort food dish!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Total Time
3 hours 30 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
4-6 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 lamb shanks
Kosher salt & black pepper
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups red wine
(1) 28 oz.can diced San Marzano tomatoes
2 cups Chicken or Beef Stock
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
2 bay leaves
1 fresh rosemary sprig
3 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
Heat a large dutch oven over medium high, add 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil.
Dry the lamb shanks completely, add salt and pepper on all sides. Sear on all sides over medium high heat, a few minutes per side and remove.
If the drippings get too black, wipe some out with a paper towel and add some additional extra virgin olive oil. Add chopped carrots, celery, leeks and garlic. Saute over low heat until translucent and not browned 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir to combine with the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes until darkened slightly.
Add red wine and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer to cook off the alcohol for about 5 minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes, stock, splash of Worcestershire and fresh herbs. The liquid should be about halfway up the sides of the pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Add the shanks back in to the liquid so that they are halfway submerged. Reduce heat to low or simmer. Cover and simmer.
After 1-1/2 hours, flip the lamb and cook for one more hour. To serve, remove the shanks to a platter and tent with foil. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce for 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a strainer and into a fat separator. Pour the drippings into a bowl to spoon a little over the shanks on each plate, discard the remaining fat. If you have leftover cooking liquid, freeze it to add to your cooking base for next time, it is delicious!
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