Slow cooker Lamb Shank Recipe with gravy
Lamb shank recipe is a meat dish that comes from sheep meat. It can be cooked, roasted, or grilled. Lamb shanks taste delicious and are great for barbecues or lunches. This recipe can be eaten as it is or with side dishes such as vegetables.
Slowly cooked lamb shank recipe in one pot
Mouthwatering super soft lamb shanks which will melt off bone right away. Get this best lamb shank recipe done by one of these methods. Grab your slow cooker, crockpot, or have it made in your oven. This recipe includes a combination of methods to choose from as per your requirement. This recipe is going to be a favorite dinner option for your family. Seared and simmered on low heat, see how perfectly tender these lamb shanks are. Bonus will be the super tasty red wine gravy to give an extra flavor.
This braised lamb shank recipe can also be cooked with carrots and rosemary in a Dutch oven. These shanks will literally melt in your mouth. A recipe with superior aromatics and flavors infused with rosemary, garlic, and warm spices.
Adding potatoes and carrots into the pot will make it a perfect one-pot main dish for the dinner option. The ingredient list is not as long as other main courses out there. All you need for this recipe outside your kitchen is quality lamb shanks perfectly cut into your required shape and you are set to cook.
You may also like our braised beef recipe.
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Lamb Shank Recipe
Lamb shanks are a popular dish in the many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is usually cooked in liquid with vegetables, herbs, and spices. There are many variations on this recipe to suit personal taste. The most important ingredients for the lamb shank are the spice mix and red wine or dry white wine. The spices can vary from chili powder, oregano, thyme, cinnamon to cayenne pepper.
Ingredients for slow-cooked lamb shanks
Lamb shanks are a great, hearty, and satisfying meal. This dish has many different variations but the most popular ones include:
- 2 lbs of lamb shanks
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, chopped into small pieces
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped into small pieces or 1/4 cup celery leaves or 1/2 cup finely chopped celery stalk
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin seeds
- 1 tspn ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; salt; pepper; olive oil; water
How to make the recipe
This section is about how to make the perfect lamb shank in the slow cooker.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme
- Rub the paste all over the lamb shanks
- Add flour
- Brown lamb shanks on both sides in oil
- Put in a bowl with onion
- Cover with water and add bouillon cubes or powdered chicken broth.
Why cook lamb shanks recipe in a Dutch oven?
Dutch ovens are heavy, but the tight lid and thick walls help to create a moist and succulent meal. The meat cooks in its own juices and the fat help keep it moist. It’s a good idea to sear the lamb shanks on all sides before placing them in the Dutch oven. Doing this will seal in all the flavors and juices that otherwise will not.
How to slow cook lamb shanks?
The slow cooker is an excellent way to make lamb shanks, as it brings out the flavor of the meat and makes it fall off the bone. The slow cooking method is perfect for soups, stews, and roasts like lamb shanks. It’s a low-and-slow way to cook food that gives things like meat and vegetables an opportunity to really soak up the flavor of the surrounding ingredients.
There is a lot of confusion as to what is the best way to cook lamb. The key thing to remember is that cooking lamb shanks very slowly, and this includes braising.
When you cook a lamb shank, make sure it’s well-marbled and rich in fat and juices. This will ensure that it’s tender and flavorful. you may braise the meat in the oven with meat broth for extra flavor. When braising, it’s important not to brown the meat too much because this will cause it to dry out when cooking for a long time at low temperatures.
Creating layers of flavors in lamb shanks
Lamb shank is an extravagance. The meat is juicy and flavorful. Lamb shanks are usually made in a pot with lots of aromatic spices and sauces. How about adding layers of flavors and making lamb shank even more delicious?
One way to do this is to cook the lamb shanks in different liquids that contain various flavorings.
If you cook the lamb shanks in boiling water, then add some sugar or vinegar, then switch to rose water for a while, and add some other ingredients such as soy sauce at the end – you will end up with a flavorful dish.
The layer of flavors – The way to create layers of flavor in lamb shanks is by using aromatic spices. These spices is good for flavor enhancement garlic, turmeric, saffron, cinnamon, and are some examples of aromatic spices.
Aromatic spices – Aromatic spices are herbs or other seasonings that have an intense smell or taste and add in flavoring. They can also go hand-in-hand with interesting cooking techniques to create layers of flavors in the dish.
Serving options with lamb shanks
you can serve this dish straight through the Dutch oven into individual servings. I usually take a portion of the dish into serving dishes specially for guests.
Lamb shanks make a good combination with white rice and mashed potatoes. For healthier options, you can swap the refined rice with steamed brown rice. Serving healthy drinks or juices can also be another good option.
My favorite combination is with the cauliflower mash. Cauliflower balances the calories and gives a good light vegetable option along with heavy meat.
Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Recipe with Gravy
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (recommended)
- Crock Pot
Ingredients
For Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 1 tspn Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tspn Thyme leaves (crushed)
For Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
- 1⅓ lbs Lamb Shanks (will have four medium-sized shanks)
- 4 tbsp Olive OIl
- 4 medium Carrots (diced equally)
- 4 stalks Celery
- 4 medium Shallots
- 16 ounces Button Mushroom (Sliced)
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 4 cloves Garlic (Pressed)
- 2 large Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp Butter (Unsalted)
- 1 tbsp Flour (as thickening agent)
Instructions
For Spice Mix
- Mix up all the spices sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and thyme leaves in a small bowl. Dry up the lamb shanks with kitchen paper so it could hold spice mix on the surface. Season your lamb shanks generously.
Dutch Oven Method
- Preheat your dutch oven over medium flame and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add in two lamb shanks at a time so it could have enough space for turning on both sides. Fry for about 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown in color from both sides.
- Remove lamb from the pot and place these into a tray.
- In the same pot add in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil again to stir fry carrots and celery until translucent in color. I will recommend not cooking vegetables fully and leaving a bit of crunch.
- Add in mushrooms and shallots to cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in all the liquid ingredients of red wine, tomato paste, and broth until everything is mixed well together. Add in garlic and bay leaves in this liquid mixture along with the fried lamb so vegetables and broth could get well absorbed.
- Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven for braising. It would take 2 and half hours easily or you can check after 2 hours. Make sure to check the tenderness with the fork. It should leave its bones without effort.
No braise instant cooking method
- Set your instant cooker on a medium flame and stir in olive oil.
- Add your lamb shanks for a nice golden color and stir fry each side for 5 minutes. Repeat the process with each piece and, remove and place on a separate plate.
- Repeat all the steps mentioned above for the dutch oven method with one exception of cooking time. In an instant pot, it would hardly take about 60 minutes to cook lamb shanks to its perfect tenderness.
