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Slowly cooked in a rich and delicious sauce until fall-off-the-bone tender, these red wine Braised Lamb Shanks are Holiday comfort food at its finest. Perhaps the only thing that can make them even better is the creamy bed of cheesy polenta they’re served over.
Ingredients You Need for the Braised Lamb Shanks
- Lamb Shanks: Try to find lamb shanks with a good amount of meat on the bone and ones that are similar in size so that they cook at the same speed. This recipe also works with ossobuco and beef short ribs if you’re not a fan of lamb shanks or can’t find them near you.
- Mirepoix: Diced carrot, celery and onion forms the aromatic base for the sauce in which the lamb shanks braise. This combination of vegetables is commonly referred to as mirepoix, or sofrritto in Italian. You can absolutely serve the lamb shanks with the vegetables for a more rustic and hearty dish. For a more refined presentation, you can strain the sauce and discard the vegetables.
- Garlic: As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much!
- Tomato Paste: Look for good quality tomato paste, preferably made with tomatoes from Italy. I personally like Mutti brand. It has a nicely concentrated flavour that is not too sweet and I like that it comes in a resealable squeeze tube, which makes it very easy to measure and store afterwards.
- Fresh Herbs: I like to flavour the sauce with a combination of fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and bay leaves. Tying the herbs together with butcher’s twine to make a bouquet garni before adding it to the sauce will allow you to easily remove the stems before serving. This is particularly useful if you plan to serve the braised lamb shanks with the vegetables. If you choose to pass the sauce through a sieve, as shown in the recipe, then tying the herbs together with twine isn’t absolutely necessary because they will get caught by the sieve anyways.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Adding some good-quality crushed tomatoes will add acidity, colour and depth of flavour to the braised lamb shanks.
- Good Quality Beef Broth: This recipe doesn’t have many ingredients to hide behind so the quality of the broth you use is very important. Homemade is always best, but if you’re in a pinch or want to save hours in the kitchen then grab a carton of Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth. It adds more depth of flavour than a standard beef broth.
- Red Wine: I’ve made these braised lamb shanks both with and without red wine and can honestly say I personally prefer it without. But you’re the boss, applesauce! It will add some complexity to the dish and you can absolutely use it if you like! Around 1 cup of red wine should be enough for this recipe. Or you can add more depending on your personal preference. Just be sure to cook out the alcohol and reduce the wine before proceeding to the next step.
- Butter: It’s not absolutely necessary, but for an extra luxurious and decadent sauce, try finishing it with some high-quality butter. The butter will give the sauce a glossy finish and creamy texture.
Ingredients You Need for the Cheesy Polenta
- Cornmeal: Cornmeal comes in a variety of grind sizes. The problem is that the grind size is rarely specified on the package and it changes from brand to brand! It will be up to you to look carefully at the package. For this recipe, I recommend a medium-ground cornmeal – not too fine and not too coarse. This will give you the best texture for making the cheesy polenta.
- Water: The perfect polenta is all about the ratio of water to cornmeal. For this recipe, I like to use a ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part cornmeal. I’m after a creamy and velvety consistency here – not one that is firm or bread-like.
- Salt: Be sure to season the polenta with some kosher salt or it will be very bland. Remember, you can always add but it’s very hard to take it away so add the salt a little bit at a time until it tastes right to you.
- Butter: It’s not absolutely necessary, but for some creaminess and a glossy finish, I like to finish the polenta with some good-quality grass-fed butter.
- Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese: For something truly special and indulgent, fold some Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese into the polenta. Not only will this cheese give the polenta an incredible texture, but it will impart an incredible flavour profile.
Should I Dredge the Lamb Shanks in Flour?
You can certainly dredge the lamb shanks in flour if you like, but it’s not necessary! Especially if you want to keep this recipe gluten-free.
Many recipes will call for dredging the lamb shanks in flour before browning them in the pot. The flour is intended to help develop a deeper crust on the shanks and more of a fond (brown bits) on the bottom of the pot. Any residual flour left over in pot may also help thicken the sauce as it cooks.
Tips for Perfect Browning
Develop a deep crust and fond without dredging in flour by doing these 3 things:
- Remove the shanks from the fridge 1 hour before cooking and let them come to room temperature. Cold meat will drop the temperature in the pan and cause steam to build up, resulting in less browning.
- Use paper towel to pat the shanks very dry before cooking. The drier the meat, the more chance it has to brown in the pan.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan and brown the lamb shanks in batches. If you try to fit too many shanks into the pan together, it will cause steam to form and will prevent browning.
Can You Braise the Lamb Shanks Without a Dutch Oven?
The benefit of cooking this recipe in a Dutch oven is that the entire thing can be made in a single pot. This will help build flavours and save clean up time.
However, you don’t need a Dutch oven to prepare the braised lamb shanks. You can use any oven-safe pot that is wide enough to comfortably hold the lamb shanks and tall enough to cover them with the braising liquid. It’s best if it has a tight-fitting lid but this too is not mandatory.
If you do not have a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, you can use a roasting tray. This actually works best if you plan on making a lot of lamb shanks for a crowd because they will fit more comfortably in a tray. You will still need to brown the lamb shanks in a pan first and then follow all of the steps listed for building the red wine and tomato sauce. Transfer the browned lamb shanks to a roasting tray and pour the sauce overtop. Cover it with a sheet of wet parchment paper to keep the meat moist and seal the top tightly with tin foil to prevent steam from escaping.
Once the lamb shanks are fully cooked and tender, transfer them to a tray then follow the steps for straining and reducing the sauce in a separate pot.
Can I Prepare the Lamb Shanks Ahead of Time?
You can absolutely braise the lamb shanks in advance. In fact, it will taste even better the next day as the flavours have more time to develop. Do not, however, make the cheesy polenta ahead of time! That is best served fresh!
I recommend reheating the lamb shanks in a roasting pan along with the sauce. Cover it first with a sheet of wet parchment paper followed by foil. The parchment paper will help trap steam and help keep the lamb moist. It will also prevent the foil from making contact with the food.
Reheat the lamb in a 350F oven until they’re warmed through, around 20 minutes.
If you find that the sauce has reduced too much after reheating, you can reconstitute it with beef broth and adjust the seasoning as desired.
This recipe was created in partnership with Kerrygold. All opinions expressed here are the author’s alone.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Cheesy Polenta
Ingredients
For the Braised Lamb Shanks:
- 4 lamb shanks
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine, optional
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 16 ounces beef bone broth, substitute beef broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter
For the Cheesy Polenta:
- 5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup medium-ground cornmeal
- ¼ cup grass-fed butter
- 7 ounces Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, coarsely grated
Instructions
For the Braised Lamb Shanks:
- Rinse the lamb shanks under cold water and pat them dry with paper towel. Season all sides of the shanks generously with salt and place them onto a sheet pan lined with a wire rack. Refrigerate the shanks for 6 hours to overnight for best results, or 1 hour if in a rush
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and heat it until shimmering. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towel and carefully add them to the pan. If necessary, do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook the shanks, undisturbed, until browned on one side, around 6 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until browned, around 6 more minutes. Transfer the shanks to a tray and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the carrot, celery and onion. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have slightly softened, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 60 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring to incorporate, 2 minutes. Add the wine, if using, and cook, stirring, until reduced in volume by half. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and black pepper, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, until the liquid reaches a simmer. Nestle the browned lamb shanks in the sauce. If necessary, add more broth until the meat is almost fully submerged. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone, around 2.5 hours. If the meat is still not tender after 2.5 hours, continue cooking and checking on it every 30 minutes.
- Transfer the lamb shanks to a tray. Pour the liquid and vegetables through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and press out as much of the liquid as possible from the vegetables. Pour the liquid back into the braising pot and place it over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the liquid can coat the back of a spoon (cooking times vary depending on the amount of liquid). Add the butter and vigorously stir it through to incorporate. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Return the lamb shanks to the pot and baste with the sauce until reheated.
- To serve, spoon the cheesy polenta into individual bowls. Top with the lamb shanks and spoon the sauce overtop. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and enjoy.
For the Cheesy Polenta:
- Add the water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, season the water with salt and lower the heat to low. While continuously whisking, slowly pour in the cornmeal. Continue whisking until everything is incorporated. Cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring regularly with a spatula, until cooked through and creamy in texture, around 15 minutes. If the polenta is too thick, loosen it with a splash of water. If the polenta is too loose, continue cooking it with the lid off until it thickens.
- Add the butter and stir it through to combine. Add the Dubliner cheese and stir it through to combine. Taste the polenta for seasoning and adjust with salt as desired.
- Serve the polenta immediately with the braised lamb shanks.
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About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
When do you add the crushed tomatoes? Guessing with the beef broth? Not seeing that in the instructions…
Correct! Thank you for spotting that!