Braised Lamb Shanks are some serious comfort food! Made with grass-fed local farm lamb and slow cooked until tender in a red wine sauce flavored with tomato, onions, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta for the ultimate tasty food dish.
Braised Lamb Shanks = Major Comfort Food Recipe
Every year we buy an organic, grass fed lamb from our favorite local farm and every year I make this same classic dish with the shanks. Braised lamb shanks have become my favorite comfort food go-to dish, especially when the cold weather calls for a hearty dish.
A more affordable way to buy organic meat
Many people might think that buying grass fed meats from local farms is too expensive, but the truth is that it can be quite affordable. One way to save money while supporting your local farmer is to become part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Think of it as a subscription service for the freshest, in-season food for vegetables, meat, fish, bread, dairy, etc. I search for local farms near me on EatWild.
Another way to make this way of eating more affordable is to buy less expensive cuts. This recipe utilizes lamb shanks, which are a super flavorful, yet inexpensive cut of meat.
Since it’s a super tough piece of meat, it does take some time slow cooking and oven braising for the shanks to really shine, but in about 2-3 hours, you’ll have some of the most tender and flavorful lamb ever. Plus, the sauce is amazing and you’ll want to pour it all over everything!
The base of this recipe is the same one I use for my Braised Beef Short Ribs, with a few changes and additions. I’m a firm believer in the “if it ain’t broke” theory. Also, if you’re not a lamb lover, then the beef short ribs recipe might be just for you.
One of the BEST winter recipes around!
Since the weather here is still crappy (aka winter) and I’m all about comfort food right now. I’ve been oven roasting, braising, Instant Potting, and Crock-potting everything…but no grilling.
Honestly, I cried the other night because it was -1F degrees outside and there was snow all over the ground. I couldn’t grill the chicken and pork I had marinating in homemade jerk paste for the past 2 days without literally freezing to death. p.s. that might be a slight exaggeration)
The next time it was cold and windy, didn’t even mess around with the grill. Instead, I made these shanks and served them with creamy polenta (made with a ton of grass-fed butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese mixed in) and oven roasted kale. Added a glass of red wine and it was perfection on that chilly winter spring night.
Serve the lamb shanks with these sides:
- Slow Cooker Colcannon
- Fresh Ginger & Shallot Green Beans
- Sweet Potato Rolls
- Garlic Cheddar Cheese Angel Biscuits
Think of these braised lamb shanks next time you need to make a comfort food recipe on a chilly day. They also make a perfect Easter dinner!
Braised Lamb Shanks are some serious comfort food! Made with grass-fed local farm lamb and slow cooked until tender in a red wine sauce flavored with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta for the ultimate tasty food dish.
- 4 small lamb shanks , about 3/4-1 pound each; preferably local farm raised & grass-fed, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion , about 1 medium
- 1 cup diced carrot , about 1 large
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 cup good quality red wine
- 2 cups good quality beef stock , homemade or store bought
- 1 cups good quality chicken stock , homemade or store bought
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary , chopped (can substitute 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- optional: fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley , chopped
Take the lamb shanks out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature before cooking (about 1/2-1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon of olive oil and sear the shanks on all sides until brown, adding additional olive oil as needed. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrot, and garlic to the pan. Sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add beef and chicken stocks, tomato paste, and rosemary and stir well. Increase heat again to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil. Return lamb shanks to the pan, cover, and place in the preheated oven.
Braise the shanks for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until lamb is fork tender.
- Place the cooked shanks on a serving dish. Skim excess fat off top of cooking liquid and reduce over high heat to thicken into a sauce, if necessary. Place one lamb shank on a plate, spoon sauce over it, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Leftovers are even better the next day so make a double batch!
OMG, Yes!! This looks so good! And your pics are GORGEOUS, girl! The biggest high five to ya!! I have never heard of EatWild, but I’m all about supporting local farms and will have to check out. I would pay extra to support local and to get a better, fresher product and wouldn’t think twice about it. I just want to jump right into this dish and polenta with this lamb is pure perfection. One of my favourite combos!
I can totally feel your pain with regard to the cold. Do you know how cold it is here today with the windchill? -27!!! Yes, minus 27!!! Annnnnnnd, there is a potential for a big storm this weekend! What??? Anyway, I guess I’ll be curling up inside with a big bowl of this and listening to ma record player The only way to roll! Pinned! XOXO
Very, very tempting. Absolutely love your pictures, I can tell how tender the lamb is without tasting it, even though I wish I could. This is definitely a dish to take your mind off below freezing temps. The creamy, cheesy polenta seems like the perfect side.
I love lamb shanks. How could I not? When made correctly they fall off the bone, and the meat is tender, flavorful and delicate at the same time. I’ve never tried to make lamb shanks at home. This recipe looks easy enough for me to pull off. Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Mary | Evolve with Mary
It looks so deliciously simple but sophisticated at the same time! I love it, I didn’t eat lamb for ages!
Well you cry a lot, Karrie, haha. Indeed I get it. It’s always upsetting when our tremendous kitchen plans/ideas face this kind of obstacles. It’s like when you’ve been cooking something complicated hoping you would take lots of beautiful pics and then, all of a sudden, some sinister clouds accumulate and bad rain/snow starts and you’re no longer able to shoot this food (Remember, you’ve just spent 3 hours!) cause the natural light sucks. But I’m glad you’ve made this delicious meal. The combo of lamb, wine, onions, and herbs….Yes, please!
This is a comfort bowl for me. I will have it for lunch and dinner. Looks so comforting and has a south indian look.
We love such bowls. I will have the leftover lamb with soft fluffy rice the next day.
I think the more you cook and reduce to a thick sauce, it s going to be even more rich meal
I share in your tears, my friend! But if this is the result of -1 degree, I’ll take the cold! I wish I could dive into that first photo…so mouthwatering! I’ve been craving creamy polenta lately, and you’ve just taken my craving over the top! Gorgeous girlfriend!
Girl, these pictures and this recipe has me feeling all the feels. It’s a middle finger to the last throws of winter. I hope April reunites you to your grill. Hang in there!
I am all about braising meat. How great is it that you can buy a cheap cut of meat and turn it into something so tender and flavorful? I love it. And especially lamb shanks, this sounds so good. I’m not a huge fan of rosemary, so I will likely either replace or leave it out. Greta recipe!
Can I just tell you that I am drooling over these?!? WOW!!! This whole recipe looks amazing. I am going to make this for my husband and surprise him. YUMMMMMMM!!!
We like Lamb in any way, though my wife prefers the Shank.!!
A question on the recipe, I see no salt or pepper on it!! Any reason why?
Thanks for the Pics..
Thanks William and the rich flavor of slow braised shanks are the BEST! There’s enough seasoning with the broths, so I find no additional salt and pepper is needed. If you try the recipe, please let me know how you and your wife like it!
This recipe is amazing! I was generous with the veggies and added salt and pepper to the shanks as I browned them since my broth was salt free. Did not need to reduce liquid for a gravy. I used mashed cauliflower instead of polenta to save on carbs. Husband, a food service director, was blown away! Very , very easy. Will make this a definite go to recipe.
Thank you Lisa and you and your Hubby have made my day!!! So happy you both liked the recipe and appreciate you taking the time to review it.
Hi! I plan on making these lamb shanks for Easter, but wanted to add fresh thyme and bay leaves (because I love those flavors). Have you tried the recipe with these herbs? I just want to make sure they don’t clash! Thank you!
Hi Ivette! I’ve used fresh thyme in this before instead of the rosemary, but not bay leaves. It should be fine if you use both thyme and bay leaves in this, especially if you really love those flavors. Bay leaves can be a little strong, so maybe try a small leaf the first time. Happy cooking and please let me know how the recipe turns out for you!