RoastAmerican
Braised lamb shanks
Four shanks, a pot, and time. The collagen is the sauce. This is not a grill cut.
Made it?
3 hr 30 min · 30 min hands-on · pull 195°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.3 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- lamb shanks4 (2 lb)
- kosher salt2 tsp
- onion, chopped1
- garlic cloves4
- red wine or stock1 cup
- crushed tomato or more stock1 cup
- rosemary2 sprigs
Method
- 1
Salt the shanks. Brown on all sides in a heavy pot. Remove.
- 2
Soften onion and garlic in the fat. Deglaze with wine. Return shanks with tomato and rosemary. Liquid halfway up.
- 3
Cover, 325°F oven, 2½–3 hours until the meat surrenders. Rest in the liquid 10 minutes. Serve with the reduced juices.
If you don’t have it
- Lamb shanks → Beef hindshank or osso buco. Same method, a little longer on beef. The gelatin is the point.
- Wine → All stock, or a dark beer. You still need liquid halfway up, not a swim.
Same cook, different day
Smoked then braised
You want a little wood. 1 hour at 250°F, then into the pot. Cherry or oak.
Tomato-forward
A ragu night. More tomato, pull the meat, toss with pasta. The bone still belongs in the pot.
Overnight fridge
Better the next day. Chill in the liquid, lift the fat, reheat gently. Flavor settles.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making petite roasted potatoes.
Same pan as a roast or chicken. Or a sheet next to chops. Halve, oil, salt, rosemary. 425°F cut-side down until the faces brown. Toss in the meat drippings at the end.
40 min
- With this dish, try making roasted carrots.
Same oven as a roast. Last 30 minutes. Whole thin carrots or big ones halved. Oil, salt, thyme, 425°F, honey in the last 5.
35 min
- With this dish, try making mashed potatoes.
Start when the roast has 30 minutes left, or while a steak rests. Russets, salted water, drain hard. Rice or mash. Butter first, then warm cream. Do not put them on the fire — they want a pot.
35 min