Braised Lamb Shanks

March 3, 2024 • 0 comments

Braised Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks bring all the rich goodness of a braise together with the warm, comfortingly taste of lamb.
  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • (2 shanks) Lamb Shank
  • Salt and Pepper
  • (2 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
  • (2 Large) Carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick
  • (2 Large) Celery ribs, sliced about 1/4" thick
  • (1 Large) Onion, finely chopped
  • (5 Large) Garlic Cloves, chopped
  • (1) Parsley bunch, divided
  • (8) Thyme sprigs, divided
  • (1) Rosemary, fresh sprig
  • (2) Bay Leaves
  • (1 Tablespoon) Tomato Paste
  • (3/4 Cup) Beef Stock - 1 quart
  • (1/2 Cup) Red Wine
  • (1/2 Cup) Raisins
  • (2-3 Tablespoons) Pistachios, ground and roasted

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Season the shanks generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Add 2 Tbsp oil to a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven.
  4. When the oil is very hot, brown the lamb shanks on all sides until golden brown.  Brown one shank at a time, if necessary.
  5. Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and add the rest of the oil.  Add the chopped garlic, carrots, celery and onion to the pan and sauté' over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent and the veggies are just cooling on the edges.
  6. While the veggies cook, strip 6 of the thyme sprigs and finely chop together with half of the parsley.  Set aside.
  7. When the veggies are ready, scoot them to one side of the pan.  In the blank space, add the tomato paste.  Cook in the bare pan until somewhat thickened and toasty looking.  Stir together with the veggies.  Reduce heat to medium.
  8. Add the beef stock and wine to the pot.  Add two whole sprigs of thyme, the sprig of rosemary and the rest of the parsley as well as the bay leaves.
  9. Nestle the shanks deep in the bed of aromatics.  Scatter the raisins over the surface of the braise.
  10. Put the lid on the pot and cook for 90 minutes.  
  11. Test shanks for tenderness and temperature.  Shanks should be at 203 degrees.  If you prefer them falling off the bone cook for an additional 30 minutes.
  12. If the shanks are at 203 degrees and tender, remove the shanks from the pot and stir the ground pistachios into the sauce to thicken it.  Also stir in the reserved parsley/thyme mixture, to taste.
  13. Serve the shanks with the sauce and vegetables from the braise.
  14. Enjoy!

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