Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary and Red Wine
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I started a new job this week so in my determination to be organised I cleaned out the freezer. Lurking in the back were some lamb shanks I'd forgotten about. Lamb Shanks are one of my favourite cuts of lamb - they have such a lovely earthy flavour, and cooked well - slowly, on a low heat for a few hours, they'll be tender and delicate and loaded with the flavours you cook them with.
In my case I love pairing lamb with rosemary, it's one of those flavour combinations that just works. I also popped in some garlic, a good dollop of red wine and some beef stock. Simple comforting flavours and a hearty rich sauce that works well with garlicky mashed potatoes or like me, serve it with a baked pumpkin.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, sliced finely
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped finely, or 200 grams canned tomatoes
- 4 medium lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 100 mls red wine
- 500 mls beef stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Sprinkle the lamb shanks with flour and brown in 1 tablespoon olive oil over a medium heat until browned all over. Set aside.
- Tip off most of the oil from the pan. To the remaining oil add the minced garlic and onions and fry over a medium low heat until onions are soft (about 3 minutes). Add in the tomatoes and red wine and cook for 5 minutes until it resembles a sauce. Add thyme, rosemary and beef stock, season with some salt and pepper.
- Add in beef stock and carrots.
- Put lamb shanks into an oven dish, cover, pour sauce over the top and bake at 160 degree celsius (300 degrees fahrenheit) for 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lamb shanks from pan, and thicken sauce with cornflour and water mixture.
