Description
Ina Garten’s lamb shank recipe brings Mediterranean comfort to dinner tables with rich, slow-braised meat that melts off the bone. Hearty herbs and red wine create depth, while home cooks can easily master this elegant dish that transports palates to rustic Italian kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 lamb shanks
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
- 1 (28 oz / 794 g) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1 (10.5 oz / 298 g) can condensed chicken broth
- 1 (10.5 oz / 298 g) can beef broth
- 3 large carrots, cut into ¼ inch rounds
- 2 onions, chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 teaspoons (25 ml) chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) chopped fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Seasoning: Thoroughly coat lamb shanks with kosher salt and black pepper, ensuring complete and even coverage.
- Searing: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, browning lamb shanks to create a rich golden crust on all sides, developing deep flavor complexity.
- Aromatic Base: Lower heat and sauté carrots, onions, and garlic until vegetables become translucent and caramelized, releasing their natural sweetness.
- Liquid Infusion: Deglaze pot with red wine, scraping bottom to incorporate browned bits, then add crushed tomatoes, chicken and beef stocks, rosemary, and thyme to create a robust braising liquid.
- Slow Cooking: Return lamb shanks to the liquid, ensuring they’re mostly submerged, then simmer covered on low heat for approximately 2 hours until meat becomes fork-tender and begins to separate from the bone.
- Sauce Reduction: Uncover pot and continue simmering to concentrate flavors, allowing sauce to thicken and develop an intense, glossy consistency.
- Plating: Transfer lamb shanks to serving platter, drape with reduced sauce, and garnish with fresh herbs for an elegant presentation ready to be served immediately.
Notes
- Meat Selection Matters: Choose high-quality, fresh lamb shanks with good marbling for maximum tenderness and rich flavor depth.
- Perfect Browning Technique: Ensure lamb shanks are thoroughly dried before searing to achieve a perfect golden-brown crust that locks in juices and develops complex flavors.
- Wine Choice Impact: Select a robust red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah to enhance the sauce’s depth and complement the lamb’s rich meat profile.
- Simmering Secrets: Low and slow cooking is crucial for transforming tough lamb shanks into meltingly tender meat that falls off the bone with minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg