Tender Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
Fall off the bone tender and juicy Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks are sure to impress with a rich and flavorful sauce and minty gremolata!
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or large oven safe pot or braising dish
Ingredients
For the Braise:
- 2 lamb shanks - about 1 pound each 16-20 ounces each, bone in
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large carrot small dice
- 1 medium onion small dice
- 2 large cloves minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Bottle full-bodied dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small 4” stick cinnamon
- 1 star anise whole
For the Gremolata:
- ¾ cup Italian parsley loosely packed then chopped fine
- ¼ cup mint leaves loosely packed then chopped fine
- Zest of 2 medium lemons
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Season each of the lamb shanks with 1 teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, and marjoram mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in the Dutch oven. Once hot, sear the lamb shanks in the hot oil to get a little browning on all sides as best as you can. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Remove the shanks to a plate and turn the heat to medium.2 lamb shanks - about 1 pound each, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram, 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Immediately add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots and onion and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the wine while stirring to incorporate everything well. Once you add the wine, return the lamb shanks to the Dutch oven and drop in the bay leaves, cinnamon, and star anise. Bring to a boil then cover and place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and set a timer for 2 hours.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large carrot, 1 medium onion, 2 large cloves minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 Bottle full-bodied dry red wine, 2 bay leaves, 1 small, 1 star anise
- At the 2-hour mark, check to see if too much liquid has evaporated (you want the liquid to stay above the halfway mark of the lamb shanks). If it has, add some more wine or a 1:1 ratio of wine and water/stock). Return to the oven and cook for another 1.5 hours. At this point, the lamb should be super tender and falling off the bone.
- For the gremolata, simply mix the parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Set aside and let the gremolata sit for at least 20 minutes to meld the flavors before using.¾ cup Italian parsley loosely packed, ¼ cup mint leaves loosely packed, Zest of 2 medium lemons, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the lamb is done, remove the lamb shanks to a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Strain the braising liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan and discard the solids. Cook the liquid over medium heat to reduce somewhat until the rich red wine sauce has thickened a bit. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed.
- The lamb shanks can be served drizzled with the rich sauce and topped with the gremolata alongside your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 860kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 43gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 2062mgPotassium: 1007mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 8787IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 7mg
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