Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Spices

Lamb is perfect for a springtime meal or holiday gathering. This recipe for slow cook lamb shanks is a simple recipe that will essentially cook the lamb shank on its own for hours without much fuss but will wow your guests at the same time.

TYPE MAIN COURSE
SERVES 6
DIFFICULTY MODERATE
PREP TIME 15 MIN
COOK TIME 3 HOURS

Ingredients

  • 6 lamb shanks, roughly 4 pounds total
  • 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 3 tablespoon of neutral oil
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 ribs of celery, cut into chunks
  • 4 shallots, cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 - 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon whole cloves
  • ½ tablespoon allspice, whole
  • 1 teaspoon coriander, whole
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, whole
  • peel of 1 orange
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 - 750ml bottle of dry red wine, we used Pinot Noir
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Season the lamb shanks with 1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  3. In the All-Clad 6 Quart D7 Stainless Slow Cooker over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. When hot add the whole cloves, allspice, coriander, and mustard seeds, and cook for 2 minutes or until very fragrant. Remove the spices and reserve to the side.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil over medium heat in the pot. Add three of the lamb shanks and sear for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the shank and sear the other side for 4 minutes.
  5. Remove from the pot and repeat with the remaining shanks.
  6. Reduce the heat to medium low and add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the carrots, celery, and shallots to the pot. Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes.
  7. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 more minute.
  8. Add the tomato paste and incorporate it into the vegetables and caramelize for 2 minutes.
  9. Add half of the wine to the pot. Scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Then, pour the remaining wine and the stock into the pot.
  10. Add the herbs, orange peel, bay leaves, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and reserved spices to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and put into the oven for 3 hours.
  11. Remove and stir the mixture every hour during the cooking time. The shanks will be fall apart tender when done.
  12. Remove the shanks from the broth and reserve in a large dish. Strain the cooking liquid into an All-Clad Saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the liquid for roughly 20 minutes until thickened and reduced by a third.
  13. Pour the sauce over the shanks and serve hot.

Pro Tip:

When using orange peels make sure to remove the orange pith. This is the part that has the bitter taste and you do not want that in the dish.