Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks

With colder months arriving, lamb shanks are the perfect meal for those cold, winter evenings. They’re also perfect for days when you’re busy, because you can put this on in the morning, and a gorgeous, nourishing meal is ready for you at the end of the day. I particularly love lamb shanks because they are one of the cheaper cuts, but when cooked long and slow, are one of the sweeter parts of the lamb – and when paired with the perfect red wine, make for an enjoyable winter’s meal.

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks – approx. 400g each

• 1 tsp each salt and pepper

• 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil 

• 1 onion , finely diced (or if Low FODMAP – 4-5 shallots – green part only)

• 3 garlic cloves , minced (if low FODMAP, use Garlic infused olive oil above)

• 1 cup carrot , finely diced (Note 2)

• 1 cup celery , finely diced (Note 2)

• 2 1/2 cups / 625 ml red wine , full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)

• 800g can crushed tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock, low sodium (or water)

• 5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme

• 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)

To Serve:

• Mashed potato, polenta or pureed cauliflower

• Mixed green vegetables

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F/220C.

2. Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Cook lamb shanks in oven for 15-20mins

4. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any)

5. Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot, if needed. Add the onion/shallots and garlic (if using), cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.

7. Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

8. Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged.

9. Turn stove up, bring to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours

10. OR if using a slow cooker, transfer to slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hrs, or high for 4 hours OR until suitably cooked

11. Remove from oven, remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb is tender - if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still holding onto bone.

12. Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.

13. To thicken sauce, add cornflour and water mixture to sauce and bring to boil on stove until desired consistency is achieved

14. Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.

Notes

1. Lamb Shanks - sizes vary considerably so make sure you get ones that will fit in your cooking vessel! 

If you don't have a pot large enough, you can switch to a baking dish for the slow cooking part, and cover with a double layer of foil if you don't have a lid for it.

You can also ask your butcher to cut the shaft so it bends if you are concerned, or to trim it slightly. 

2. Onion, carrot and celery is the "holy trinity" of slow cooking, creating a beautiful flavour base for the sauce. It's not a deal breaker to exclude the carrot and celery, but it does give the sauce an extra edge.

3. Wine - Use a good value full bodied red wine, like cabaret sauvignon or merlot. Shiraz is ok too. No need to use expensive wine for slow cooked recipes like this.

4. Sauce options: The other option is to blitz the sauce using a sick blender. The sauce will be thicker, and you'll have more of it (leftovers great tossed through pasta).

5. OTHER COOK OPTIONS:

Slow cooker - Follow recipe to step 7. Bring sauce to simmer, scrape bottom of pot to get all brown bits into the liquid. Place shanks in slow cooker, add the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove shanks, strain and reduce sauce to desired thickness on stove (if you blitz per Note 5, you won't need to reduce).

Pressure Cooker - Follow Slow Cooker steps, cook for 40 minutes on high. Release pressure according to manufacturer directions. 

Stove  - to cook this on the stove, cook for about 2 hours on low, ensuring that you check it at 1 hour then every 30 minutes thereafter to ensure there is enough braising liquid (because liquid evaporates faster on the stove). Turn the lamb shanks twice. You won't get the brown crust, but the flavour is the same!

6. Cauliflower puree - boil cauliflower florets until soft, drain and let steam dry for few minutes. Then puree with butter, milk or cream, salt and pepper. Use milk to adjust the consistency to your taste.