Braised Lamb Shanks

Braised lamb shank — it almost sounds too froufrou to make at home.

But before you judge this dish by its name, take a look at the ingredients and instructions to see just how easy it is to cook.

Store-bought lamb shanks, a few chopped veggies (carrots, celery, onions — or as my mom calls it, the holy trinity of cooking), red wine, tomato puree, chicken or beef broth and a few sprigs of rosemary. Put it all together and slide the pot in the oven for 2 hours.

With only a 30-minute prep and waiting (im)patiently as it cooks for 2 hours, you’ll have a hearty, tender piece of meat. Plus, it’s filled with a rich flavour that you can only get with vegetables, herbs and, of course, red wine.

We cooked this for the first time in July, but I’m eager to whip it up in the fall alongside mashed potatoes and stuffing. Comfort food, here I come.

Prep time | 30 mins. (+ 1 hr. marinade time)
Cook time | 2 hours
Serves | 2 people

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lamb shanks (store-bought)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, drizzled on each lamb shank
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup white onion, diced
  • 1 cup red wine (I used a Merlot but any type of wine would work)
  • 1 cup chicken or beef broth
  • 200g tomato puree or sauce
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, sprinkled

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. In a large pan, drizzle some olive oil and raise the heat to high. Sear the lamb shanks for about 10 minutes, or until they’re browned on the outside.
  3. Dice the carrots, celery and onions.
  4. When the lamb shanks have browned, remove them from the pan and place them into a large pot for the oven.
  5. In another large pan on medium-high heat, drizzle olive oil and add the carrots, celery and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes and season them with salt and pepper.
  6. After that, add the red wine, broth and tomato puree to the pan. Mix well for another two minutes.
  7. Then, pour the vegetable mixture into the pot, pouring it on top of and around the lamb shanks. If you’d like, add a few more sprigs of rosemary to the pot for flavour.
  8. Cover the pot with tin foil and put in the oven for 2 hours.
  9. After the 2-hour mark, take the pot out of the oven and cut into one of the lamb shanks. You want the lamb to be cooked, yet still slightly pink. The meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender.
  10. Plate each lamb shank and use a ladle to pour the vegetable jus on top of each shank. Enjoy with a fine glass of red wine (perhaps the open bottle you used for the jus!).