Braised lamb shanks is the sort of food that tastes even better the day after it’s made. That’s not to say braised lamb shanks in pinot noir aren’t irresistible the moment they’re coaxed to tenderness. But we’re not going to argue about making this recipe a day or two ahead of time since it’s such a boon to be able to do the heavy lifting for entertaining in advance. If you can manage to stash the shanks in the back of the fridge and resist indulging in them for 48 hours, you’ll be rewarded with richly nuanced layers of flavors the likes of which you’ve never experienced. No lie.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Four (3/- to 1-pound) lamb shanks
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- One (28-oz) can whole tomatoes with liquid
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, fronds and stalks removed, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2-inch lengths (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 1/2 cups pinot noir
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 mint leaves
- Parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with 2 teaspoons salt and sear them in the pot, turning to brown them on all sides. Remove the shanks to a plate and pour off any excess fat from the pan.
- Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and, using your hands, shred them into small pieces. Set aside.
- Add the onions, fennel, carrots (if using), garlic, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, until the garlic is lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze in the lemon juice from each half and toss the lemon rinds into the pot. Stir in the wine, tomatoes, and ginger, scraping any browned bits up from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cinnamon, coriander, fennel seeds, and 3/4 cup water, then add the lamb to the pot. Cover and braise in the oven until the lamb shanks are fork-tender and falls easily off the bone, about 3 hours.
- Arrange the braised lamb shanks on a platter. Stir the butter into the pan juices and, once melted, add the mint. Pour the sauce over the lamb, discarding the cinnamon sticks. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve with mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
These were the best braised lamb shanks I’ve ever made. This is now my go-to lamb shank recipe. The aroma while cooking and the flavor of the finished dish were delectable. The meat was falling off the bone by the end of the cooking time and was wonderfully moist and tender. The braising liquid was, in itself, a great dish. I served some of the left over liquid over rice a few days later.
Lamb shanks are one of my very favourite things, so when I saw the title of the recipe and the list of ingredients I fell in love! I’m always on the lookout for different ways to use lamb shanks. This is a lovely dish that I will continue to make often. Personally, I’d use less fennel seeds and coriander seeds, but, otherwise, loved it. This dish is packed with flavour, and it’s very true that it’s even better the next day. The house was filled with wonderfully warm and luscious aromas—wish I could package the scent! The meat is so tender you could eat it with a spoon. Very impressive looking, yet so simple to make. It would be a superb company dish.
These braised lamb shanks smelled so wonderful while cooking, we all anticipated a great meal on a recent frigid evening. It delivered. Fragrant with spices, rich with meaty lamb and wine flavor, it was perfect served over soft polenta.
Now, this is what I’m talking about. I love braising. It breaks down the connective tissue of the meat and produces tender, juicy and flavorful lamb. I particularly love the use of fennel and mint in this dish. It’s just the perfect complement to the lamb. All of the ingredients were easy to find, and the method for creating the recipe was simple. You should use a really good wine for this dish; it makes all the difference. The authors are correct in that the lamb tastes even better the next day. I also like this recipe because I can pop it in the oven and do other things for a couple of hours.
Lamb, tomatoes, ginger, AND pinot noir? With those favorite ingredients, along with a lovely pile of others, I couldn’t resist trying this month’s choice. Wasn’t disappointed, either. Flavors blended beautifully—cinnamon and fennel sweetness balanced by the tartness of lemon and ginger, but not overpowering the lamb’s earthiness. This dish is sort of a cross between a Provencal daube and a Moroccan couscous. What a lovely reward for all the chopping and letting the cooking smells take over the house.
Was very interested in this recipe because of the ingredients and especially liked the comment from Jon, “…dish that makes your whole house smell amazing”.
It didn’t.
I’ve used many of these ingredients before even toasting the coriander and fennel seeds. I followed the recipe exactly and there was no “smell” in the house at all. This dish didn’t have that “wow” as many I’ve cooked before with similar spices.
I was very disappointed as I read in other reviews how much success many had with it. Wondering why – want to try again but the lamb shanks are $$$ and would like to hear suggestions on what went wrong Thanks.
Hi, Yvonne! So sorry you were so disappointed with this recipe – it must have been difficult to read so many positive comments (i.e. “…dish that makes your whole house smell amazing”) and not experience these things yourself. 🙁 However, I believe that it may be worth trying again.
The list of ingredients is certainly an aromatic one and one would expect to have the warm and lingering aromas of fennel, coriander, garlic, wine, ginger, cinnamon, lemon and so on. Were the spices you used fresh (especially cinnamon)? These ingredients should smell lovely on their own, even before using in recipes. Your house should have been the envy of everyone in your neighbourhood! Did your lamb smell good when searing? Sometimes it is possible to puchase lamb that smells more like mutton (i.e. old and gamey). Then no amount of great aromatics would help mask it.
Perhaps try braising it on the stove rather than in the oven. That way you would be able to enjoy the fragrance more readily. Did the mint add freshness at the end? Did you find any of the ingredients to overpower some of the others? Do you love lamb? Maybe trying this with beef/veal shanks would work, too.
We’ll try to get down to the bottom of this for you. We want you to enjoy this dish fully! Don’t give up just yet.
Thank you for your reply and suggestions.
I grew up eating lamb and is probably my first choice of meat after beef.
I also know about spices and shelf life. I keep them away from heat and light. In fact, the cinnamon in particular was recently purchased.
Found a Middle Eastern restaurant recently and my husband and I have enjoyed many, many special entrees – many cooked with lamb but also amazing depth of flavor. I was in Morocco in Sept 2011 and had many flavorful and very well seasoned meals. I was very anxious to try some of those recipes. And, I have tried some using ginger, garam masala, coriander, tumeric, cumin, fennel plus others. Had success using those combinations and the fragrance was wonderful!!! Something I expected from this recipe which really just fell flat.
I will do as you suggest and try it on the stove top. Purchased the shanks at my local market which always has fresh and good meats–a little more $$$ but know I’m getting quality. I did add the fresh mint at the end and couldn’t even taste it–no effect at all.
So, I’m still confused, I guess. Was going to try adding some of the above spices to this recipe. Maybe I just expect more highly seasoned results and not necessarily “hot” spice.
Thanks again, Yvonne
One year later I re-read my comment. The shanks were 7/8ths of a pound each, not 7 to 8 pounds. Lee
I take it you’re getting ready to try them again, Lee? It does look like a great recipe. Now that I can find a reasonable Pinot Noir, it may be time for me to try it myself!
These lamb shanks were great, one of the best dishes ever. I made them with carrots, and the results were spectacular. Didn’t use the 3/4 cup of water in step 5; there was plenty of liquid from the tomatoes and wine. The sauce was very rich, so I omitted the butter at the end. And I left off the mint leaves—just as a personal preference. Made this dish one day before, reheated it slowly on stove top. Israeli couscous and puréed root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, celery root, carrots and sweet potato) rounded out a fabulous meal. (The shanks were from Australia, about 7 to 8 lb. each, you’ll need one per person.)