It always amazes me how dishes like these slow cooked Port Braised Lamb Shanks served up by fancy restaurants are actually made with a handful of everyday ingredients!
Along with the classic Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce, there’s nothing tricky about this recipe. Just patience to let them cook slowly. Budget ingredients to make posh restaurant food!
Port Braised Lamb Shanks
I think I’m a pretty relaxed cook but regular readers know I have a few gripes. One is pretty photos for recipes that taste blah. And the other is recipes that demand that expensive wine be used for cooking, otherwise, don’t bother.
I love my wine. And if I buy expensive wine, I want to drink it straight. Not simmered for 3 hours.
And I guarantee, if the poshest of restaurant critics did a taste test of these Port Braised Lamb Shanks with an expensive vs discount bottle of port, they would struggle to tell the difference! (And the New York Times agrees….)
I won’t deny that using a $50 vs $10 bottle of port makes a difference. But the difference is not worth $40, I promise you that. These Port Braised Lamb Shanks taste so expensive, you can tell your guests you used a vintage 1980’s port and they would believe you! 😉
Even with the simplest of ingredients, slow cooking does wonders and I truly believe this to be an epic example of such. It is the same with my Italian Beef Ragu and Irish Beef Stew.
And this Port Braised Lamb Shanks is right up there with them. Look at that sauce. Glistening, rich, full of flavour.
Cooking Lamb Shanks
Lamb Shanks is one of my favourite slow cooking cuts. Cooking meat on the bone is always the best way to slow cook meats, like with slow cooked Beef Short Ribs and Osso Bucco. The meat is juicier and I’m 100% convinced it’s more flavourful too!
Lamb shanks are a tough cut of meat that require slow cooking to turn them into molten goodness. The cheaper and tougher the cut, the more flavourful. And lamb shanks are no exception.
There is no need to provide a knife when you serve this. The meat is so soft, you just need a fork. Or spoon. 🙂
I made this in my dutch oven, but you can make it in a slow cooker or even in the oven and I’ve provided instructions for all in the recipe.
When I’m entertaining, slow cooked foods like this are my “go to” because they’re impressive and can be made ahead. They taste fantastic on the day, but even better the day after – and the day after!
I really love serving my Port Braised Lamb Shanks with creamy mashed potato. I’ve tried mashed cauliflower and polenta, but I just don’t think they are as good as the classic ole’ mash.
Who else is up for some slow cooked comfort this weekend??? – Nagi x
More slow cooked fall-apart meat
I’m a big fan of slow cooked meats!!
- Beef Stew and Irish Guinness Stew
- Fall-apart Beef Ribs in Red Wine Sauce
- Beef Pot Roast with Gravy
- Shredded Beef Ragu
- Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce or Port Braised
- Slow Roasted Lamb Leg or Lamb Shoulder
- Osso Buco – traditional Italian slow cooked veal
- Browse the Winter Comfort Food collection!
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Port Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks , approx 400g/13oz each (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (white, brown, yellow)
- 1 celery stalk , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
- 1 carrot , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
- 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup flour (35g)
- 2 cups / 500 ml beef broth (liquid beef stock) (or sub with chicken broth)
- 3 cups / 750 ml port (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups / 375ml red wine , or more beef broth (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 5 sprigs thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 dried bay leaves (or 5 fresh)
- 4 stalks fresh parsley (optional)
To Serve
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped
Instructions
- Season lamb with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven or large heavy based pot over high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook, turning, until browned (see photo). Remove then repeat with remaining lamb.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil, garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until onion is softened.
- Add flour. Mix into onion mixture.
- Add remaining ingredients. Mix – lumps are ok, they will dissolve while cooking.
- Add lamb back in – the meat should be mostly submerged. Bring to simmer, then turn heat down to medium low and cover with lid.
- Simmer for 2 hours (Note 4) then remove lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove lamb into a bowl.
- Optional: Strain sauce in dutch oven into a bowl. Use spoon to press into onion etc to squeeze out all the flavourful liquid. Pour sauce into dutch oven. (Note 5)
- Skim excess fat off sauce.
- Increase heat to medium high and reduce liquid by half or until it thickens to a syrup consistency.
- Return lamb shanks and juices pooled in the bowl into sauce to reheat, then serve with creamy mashed potato, garnished with parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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LIFE OF DOZER
Beach-wet-Dozer eyeing off the lamb shanks, thinking Christmas came early….
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Lamb shanks are a family favorite. They are very expensive here in Canada. So it is just for special occasions. Will absolutely be trying this for someone’s birthday soon. Did you at least give Dozer a little taste? He so deserves a little treat.
He always gets a taste test…..shhh…..It’s naughty, I know! But I can’t resist that face!
Swooning! Looks delicious[ love lamb shanks] , and poor, Dozier. Lamb shanks are absolutely aromatic, and that little nose must have gone crazy while these were cooking. Pinned,
He didn’t budge from the edge of the kitchen for the whole 3 hours these were cooking. Just in case a shank jumped out of the pot….
Hi Nagi! Wow! Now you have me drooling! Lamb shanks are one of my favorite foods! Saving this one for a Sunday dinner this fall! BTW,Dozer looks like a really cool dog!! Lol!!! ? P.S. Pinned it too!! ?
Thanks Edward!! Shanks are one of my favourite slow cooked foods too, I just think they look so GRAND!!
Yum! I’ve made lamb shanks several times, with mixed results. The most involved recipe was our least favorite. So I’m eager to try this one, as whenever I tell Don I”m making a Nagi recipe his eyes light up. One question: ruby or tawny port, or doesn’t it maker? I suspect ruby is best.
Hiiiii Marlene! How ARE you? Are you 10000% mobile, back to training for the next olympics? 😉 Either works fine, I used tawny in this. By the time it cooks for that long, doesn’t make much of a difference except ruby makes the sauce slightly redder 🙂
Thanks, Nagi. good to know I can use any port I have. And yes, I am finally feeling normal again! In waiting mode as my daughter’s baby is due 9/8 and am packed and ready to leave for Boston when she calls!
Lamb Shanks is an menu item Ilove to order at a restaurant that I know prepares it well. I have yet to make some at home though (why?) ! I love this recipe with port. Bookmarked for fall … still to warm here.
I thought it was starting to cool down over there!!! No???
Alas no, we just had regular summer days with out humidity around 25 C, next days ahead 30 C with humidex near 35-40 C
Brown food just tastes better and these low and slow lamb shanks are looking mighty good! Love the port and red wine in this. I’m trying to smell my screen and it’s not working?
Ba ha ha you CRACK ME UP Kevin!!! Hey – I know you understand – you’re a fellow brown food lover….brown foods are the BEST!
Hi Nagi! Now you’ve really hit my comfort zone! I love braised lamb shanks! My only problem is they are very difficult to get here and when I can find them they are really pricey! Another case of what used to be “junk” meat that has turned into gourmet = expensive! I do have some wild boar shanks in the freezer (no I don’t get them from my local store, I ordered them from an upscale provider in NY state). I can’t wait to try this! I so agree with you on the wine, I’m gonna drink the good stuff!!
I know exactly what you mean!!! Beef cheeks, mussels, brisket – all these secondary cuts that have become “gourmet”! Luckily shanks, though not CHEAP anymore, are not crazy expensive 🙂 I’m disappointed that you bought the board shanks, I had visions of Gary out there earning his keep. No? 😉
Hi Nagi! Actually when you come and we head over to Nashville, we can go wild boar hunting (as well as other wild critters) about half way to Nashville. Are you game (pun intended)? 🙂 We can either field dress them ourselves or our guide will do it…and they offer taxidermy services as well. Are you a good shot? 🙂
I can’t, I can’t!!!! I had one tragic experience and I never recovered…..I know that makes me a total hypocrite, being the carnivore I am, but I just can’t!!! Are you a good shot???