Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks braise for hours in red wine, tomatoes, and rosemary until the meat slides right off the bone, finished with a silky reduced sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the shanks for 3 to 4 minutes per side, in batches if needed, until deeply browned on all sides; transfer to a plate.
- Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the same skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol smell.
- Transfer the wine and vegetable mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the diced tomatoes and beef broth and stir to combine.
- Nestle the seared lamb shanks into the liquid, then tuck in the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the lamb is falling-off-the-bone tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 195 F.
- Carefully transfer the shanks to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Discard the herb sprigs and bay leaves, then pour the remaining braising liquid into a saucepan and skim off excess fat from the surface.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- Spoon the sauce generously over the lamb shanks and serve hot, ideally over mashed potatoes or polenta.
Why You'll Love This
- Long braising melts the connective tissue for meat that falls off the bone
- Red wine and tomatoes build a rich, restaurant-caliber sauce
- An impressive dinner-party dish that mostly cooks itself
Simmering the red wine for a couple of minutes after deglazing burns off the sharp alcohol edge so the finished sauce tastes rounded rather than boozy.
Skimming the fat from the braising liquid before thickening it keeps the final sauce from tasting greasy.
Nutrition
| Calories | 520 |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Carbs | 14 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
Estimated per serving
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