I’m loving fall. I’m wearing sweatpants every day (and not just because my jeans don’t fit), watching sappy romcom’s (I’ve already watched Love Actually, and it’s not officially the ‘holiday season’ yet), and eating more butternut squash than should be legal. In fact, I’ve got a pot of soup working on the stove right now. My other favorite fall comfort food? Anything braised.
Short ribs, roasts, stews. And lamb shanks.
I threw these together when my father-in-law was up visiting Ethan two weeks ago. These are braised for hours in red wine and tomato sauce, and are literally falling off the bone. If you like lamb, you will love this recipe. If you don’t like lamb, you will probably still love this recipe. (Unless you’re vegetarian. In that case, never mind.)
Season lamb with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, then sear lamb over high heat until browned on all sides. Make sure you have enough room for everything before you begin. I started searing in the pot below, but had to move them into something larger.
Remove the lamb shanks and set aside. In the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and garlic. Feel free to use celery, too. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, then add 1 cup of dry red wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot.
Place the seared lamb shanks back in the pot, then add two 28 oz cans of tomato sauce and enough beef or chicken broth to almost cover the lamb with liquid. For me, that was about 3-4 cups of liquid.
Place in a pre-heated 300-degree oven and cook for 2.5 – 3 hours, or until fork tender and falling off the bone.
Serve over polenta, add your favorite veggie (roasted brussels, yum), and you’ve got a meal fit for a king. Or a father-in-law. (Hope you enjoyed these, Charlie!)
Oh, yes.
And the leftovers? A-mazing. I ate lamb ragu (as I’m calling the sauce) – sans any lamb – with polenta for a few days and it was divine.
This is the perfect introduction to fall and winter food. Not to mention, it looks fancy, tastes gourmet, and is a heck of a lot cheaper than ordering this out at a restaurant. Win-win.
Braised Lamb Shanks
Yields: 5 servings
Time: 15 min prep, 3.5 hours cooking
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 5 lamb shanks
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 (28 oz) cans of tomato sauce
- 3-4 cups beef or chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Season lamb with salt and pepper, then sear over high heat until browned on all sides.
- Remove the lamb shanks and set aside. In the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cook for 5-7 minutes, then add 1 cup of dry red wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Place the seared lamb shanks back in the pot, then add two 28 oz cans of tomato sauce and enough beef or chicken broth to almost cover the lamb with liquid. For me, that was about 3-4 cups of liquid.
- Place in a pre-heated 300-degree oven and cook for 2.5 – 3 hours, or until fork tender and falling off the bone. Serve over polenta and alongside your favorite veggie.
