Description
Hearty Mediterranean Lamb Shanks celebrate rich flavors of slow-cooked comfort, melding tender meat with aromatic herbs and robust spices. Served alongside creamy polenta or crusty bread, this dish invites you to savor a memorable culinary journey through rustic Mediterranean traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 4 lamb shanks (13 ounces / 400 grams each)
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Liquid and Vegetable Ingredients:
- 23 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 2.5 cups red wine
- 800 grams crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock or water
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 180°C/350°F, preparing for a slow-braising technique.
- Thoroughly coat lamb shanks with seasoning, then sear in sizzling oil until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes per batch, creating a rich caramelized exterior.
- In the same pan, gently sauté chopped onions and minced garlic until translucent, then incorporate diced carrots and celery, cooking for 5 minutes to develop deep flavors.
- Introduce tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, stirring to blend ingredients harmoniously.
- Carefully return seared lamb shanks to the liquid, arranging them to nestle comfortably in the aromatic sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to preheated oven for 2 hours, allowing meat to become tender and infused with herb-rich sauce.
- Remove lid and continue baking for additional 30 minutes to concentrate flavors and slightly reduce liquid.
- Extract lamb shanks from braising liquid, then strain sauce through fine-mesh sieve, pressing vegetables to extract maximum flavor essence.
- If needed, further reduce sauce on stovetop, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper to heighten taste profile.
- Plate lamb shanks and generously drizzle reduced sauce over meat before serving.
Notes
- Experiment with red wine varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to add depth and complexity to the sauce’s flavor profile.
- Choose high-quality, fresh lamb shanks with marbling for maximum tenderness and rich taste during slow cooking.
- Consider using fresh herbs like rosemary or parsley as alternative aromatics to enhance the dish’s fragrance and provide subtle flavor variations.
- Adapt the recipe for gluten-free diets by ensuring stock and tomato paste are certified gluten-free, maintaining the same delicious results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 847
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 59 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 39 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 53 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg