Slow-roasted lamb shanks must be one of the most satisfying meals. Cooked right, there’s nothing better to warm the soul on a cold winter’s night. As it bubbles away, roasting in its own juices, the flavours intensify while the sauce reduces and the meat gently softens.
But you don’t have to wait until winter. This is a dish that’ll stick to your ribs any time of the year. Just arrive hungry.
Slow-roasted Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 700 ml lamb or beef stock
- 250 ml port or sherry
- 45 ml butter
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- Salt and ground pepper to season
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 ml cornflour slaked with a little water to create a paste
- A little olive oil
- 60 ml mint jelly optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 140 °C
- Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a casserole dish
- Season the shanks to taste and brown well
- De-glaze the pan with the port, stirring to ensure that all the little bits from the bottom of the pan have been lifted
- Add the stock and bay leaves, cover and simmer gently for approximately 3 hours
- Remove the shanks from the sauce and brush with a little of the olive oil
- Roast the meat in the oven for approximately 1 hour, while simmering the sauce to reduce
- Strain the sauce to a clean saucepan and correct the seasoning (add the mint jelly if using)
- You may need to add a bit more port or sherry at this stage – if the sauce is too thin, add the cornflour mix and stir in to simmer for a minute or two, until thickened to your liking
- Serve with mashed potato and seasonal vegetables
Le Creuset's trademark enamel cast iron is quality you can see from a mile away. It just works as it should and lasts as long as you expect.
This versatile 4.5 quart size is perfect for soups and casseroles or one-pot meals, with a wide base for browning, frying, slow braising and roasting. The sloping sides are ideal for simmering and reduction and the domed lid keeps flavours locked in by circulating heat and moisture. A must-have in every kitchen.
If you own any other roasting pans, now's the time to send them off to a new home. The Scanpan Classic pan is a miracle worker, able to withstand thousands of bakes, roasts and braises.
Made to Danish professional cooking standards, this pan is constructed with seriously thick pressure-cast aluminium and a ceramic-titanium nonstick finish, creating a beast of a pan that's strong, safe and durable.
