Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks , around 400g each
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Brown onion , finely diced
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 cup carrot , finely diced
1 cup celery , finely diced
2 1/2 cups Cooper Burns 2018 Shiraz
800g can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
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
Fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
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Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes.
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Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
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Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot, if needed. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
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Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
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Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
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Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged.
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Turn stove up, bring to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
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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 meat is ultra tender (use 2 forks) - if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
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Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
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Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies. Pour strained sauce back into pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.