Braised Lamb Shanks
Welcome to part one of my holiday dinner series, where I’m sharing elevated recipes for the holidays! These braised lamb shanks will be a recipe you turn to year after year, whether you are celebrating a holiday or gathering with friends for a dinner party!
Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of traditional meals - it was fun trying new things and every year was different! I recently decided that I wanted to start having traditional holiday meals with my family, something for the kids to look forward to year after year. Last year, I made a last minute decision to challenge myself by picking up lamb shanks for Christmas dinner - something I have never cooked before, but it just screamed holiday dinner, so I listened. WOW, let me tell you, they turned out absolutely incredible and I will be making them every holiday season moving forward.
They were also surprisingly easier then I thought they would be to make. Yes, there is a lot of cooking time (up to 3 hours) but the prep is a quick, one-pan job! I served mine with fluffy mashed potatoes made with rosemary and goat cheese and roasted root vegetables - I’ll share in the coming posts!
What is braised lamb shanks?
Braised lamb shanks are a holiday classic, seared to golden brown and then cooked in vegetables, herbs, broth, and red wine.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE BRAISED LAMB SHANKS?
You only need a handful of ingredients to make braised lamb shanks:
lamb
onion
carrots
celery
turnip
garlic
red wine
tomato paste
broth
herbs
How to make braised lamb shanks?
To make these braised lamb shanks, simply sear your lamb in a hot pan and then add chopped onion, carrots, celery, turnip, and garlic to the pan. Cook, and then add your red wine, tomato paste, broth, and herbs. Return the lamb back to the pan and cook for about 3 hours, then strain the gravy, and enjoy!
Love this recipe? try these holiday favorites:
Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Begin by seasoning the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, massaging on all sides until evenly coated.
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add lamb shanks and sear on all five sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Once browned, remove from pan.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, turnip, and garlic to the same pan and brown on medium heat, about 5 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are cooked through, deglaze the pan by adding red wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
- Add tomato paste to the pan and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
- Add beef stock, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves to the pan and stir to combine. Add the cooked lamb shanks back into the pot, and cook covered in the oven for 2.5-3 hours.
- Carefully remove the lamb shanks from the pan, and then strain the vegetables over a large bowl to save the liquid. Cook the gravy over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
- Serve lamb shanks with sauce, and enjoy!
