Port Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

It all the time amazes me how dishes like these gradual cooked Port Braised Lamb Shanks served up by fancy eating places are literally made with a handful of on a regular basis elements!

Together with the basic Gradual Cooked Lamb Shanks in Crimson Wine Sauce, there’s nothing tough about this recipe. Simply endurance to allow them to cook dinner slowly. Price range elements to make posh restaurant meals!

Port Braised Lamb Shanks

I feel I’m a fairly relaxed cook dinner however common readers know I’ve a number of gripes. One is fairly photographs for recipes that style blah. And the opposite is recipes that demand that costly wine be used for cooking, in any other case, don’t hassle.

I like my wine. And if I purchase costly wine, I need to drink it straight. Not simmered for 3 hours.

And I assure, if the poshest of restaurant critics did a style take a look at of those Port Braised Lamb Shanks with an costly vs low cost bottle of port, they’d battle to inform the distinction! (And the New York Instances agrees….)

I received’t deny that utilizing a $50 vs $10 bottle of port makes a distinction. However the distinction will not be price $40, I promise you that. These Port Braised Lamb Shanks style so costly, you’ll be able to inform your company you used a classic 1980’s port and they might consider you! 😉

Even with the best of elements, gradual cooking does wonders and I really consider this to be an epic instance of such. It’s the similar with my Italian Beef Ragu and Irish Beef Stew.

And this Port Braised Lamb Shanks is true up there with them. Take a look at that sauce. Glistening, wealthy, filled with flavour.

Cooking Lamb Shanks

Lamb Shanks is one among my favorite gradual cooking cuts. Cooking meat on the bone is all the time one of the simplest ways to gradual cook dinner meats, like with gradual cooked Beef Brief Ribs and Osso Bucco. The meat is juicier and I’m 100% satisfied it’s extra flavourful too!

Lamb shanks are a troublesome lower of meat that require gradual cooking to show them into molten goodness. The cheaper and more durable the lower, the extra flavourful. And lamb shanks aren’t any exception.

There is no such thing as a want to offer a knife whenever you serve this. The meat is so mushy, you simply want a fork. Or spoon. 🙂

I made this in my dutch oven, however you may make it in a gradual cooker and even within the oven and I’ve offered directions for all within the recipe.

After I’m entertaining, gradual cooked meals like this are my “go to” as a result of they’re spectacular and might be made forward. They style unbelievable on the day, however even higher the day after – and the day after!

I actually love serving my Port Braised Lamb Shanks with creamy mashed potato. I’ve tried mashed cauliflower and polenta, however I simply don’t assume they’re nearly as good because the basic ole’ mash.

Who else is up for some gradual cooked consolation this weekend???

Port Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 3 hours 3 hours

Nutrition facts: 678 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks , approx 400g/13oz each (Note 1)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil , separated
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 onion , finely chopped (white, brown, yellow)
• 1 celery stalk , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
• 1 carrot , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
• 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup flour (35g)
• 2 cups / 500 ml beef broth (liquid beef stock) (or sub with chicken broth)
• 3 cups / 750 ml port (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups / 375ml red wine , or more beef broth (Note 3)
• 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 5 sprigs thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 dried bay leaves (or 5 fresh)
• 4 stalks fresh parsley (optional)
• Fresh parsley , finely chopped

Instructions

1. Season lamb with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven or large heavy based pot over high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook, turning, until browned (see photo). Remove then repeat with remaining lamb.
3. Turn heat down to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil, garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until onion is softened.
4. Add flour. Mix into onion mixture.
5. Add remaining ingredients. Mix – lumps are ok, they will dissolve while cooking.
6. Add lamb back in – the meat should be mostly submerged. Bring to simmer, then turn heat down to medium low and cover with lid.
7. Simmer for 2 hours (Note 4) then remove lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove lamb into a bowl.
9. Optional: Strain sauce in dutch oven into a bowl. Use spoon to press into onion etc to squeeze out all the flavourful liquid. Pour sauce into dutch oven. (Note 5)
10. Skim excess fat off sauce.
11. Increase heat to medium high and reduce liquid by half or until it thickens to a syrup consistency.
12. Return lamb shanks and juices pooled in the bowl into sauce to reheat, then serve with creamy mashed potato, garnished with parsley.

Notes

1. Lamb shanks come in all manner of sizes and cuts. Go for lamb shanks of a suitable size per serving, bearing in mind the size of your pot and that they will shrink by about 25% when cooked. Some lamb shanks come with the bone partially cut so they bend to fit into the pot, which is helpful. My lamb shanks were about 400g/13oz each and 4 fit inside a standard dutch oven, mostly submerged. They don’t need to be full submerged in the liquid as the steam will cook the exposed surface (as well as browning them nicely) and they should be turned while cooking.
ALTERNATE PROTEINS: This recipe is also be sensational made with beef cheeks and chunky beef ribs. It was a toss up which version to share, but I went for shanks because I think it looks grand!
2. There is no need to use expensive port and wine for this! It will taste lovely even using discount end of line bottles which I use, however, if you do use expense bottles, then of course it will give it an edge. But I do not. I shop at Dan Murphy’s and Aldi’s for cheap bottles. I honestly believe that for slow cooked things, you can barely tell the difference whether you use expensive or discount liquor. The port I use is $10 for a 750ml/25oz bottle.
You can use ruby or tawny port. By the time this has slow cooked, there is not much difference between the two except that ruby gives you a slightly redder sauce because ruby port is redder than tawny which is a deep brown colour. (Ruby port is younger, tawny is aged).
3. Using red wine instead of more beef broth gives this a slight edge in the depth of flavour of the sauce, but not much. I often make it without red wine, using more beef broth instead.
4. This step can be done in a 160C/320F oven (covered with foil or lid) for 2 hours covered then 30 min uncovered. Then reduce sauce on the stove per recipe. Or cook in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours, then follow recipe to reduce sauce on the stove.
5. Straining the sauce makes it “restauranty” by making it lump free. This step is optional.
6. This gets better overnight. To make ahead, follow the entire recipe then let cool, then refrigerate overnight in the dutch oven. Scrape fat off surface. Reheat on the stove or @180C in oven for 15 minutes (covered).
7. To make this gluten free, omit the flour. When the lamb is cooked, remove it, then mix 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch with 2 tbsp water. Add into the sauce, mix and let it thicken.
8. This recipe is inspired by these famous Beef Cheeks in Pedo Ximenez (Spanish Sherry), a recipe by Frank Camorra, an Australian chef and restauranteur. These beef cheeks are the signature dish at his Movida restaurants.
9. Nutrition does NOT take into account fat skimmed off the sauce. If you leave this overnight, you will get more fat out of the sauce.