Easy Wine Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe - True Comfort Food! (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking wine for lamb shank? ›

What is the Best Wine to Use? For this lamb recipe, use a dry red wine. Dry reds have a richness and depth of flavor that pairs nicely with the flavors of meat. Look for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir.

Why are my lamb shanks tough? If your shanks are tough, they may need to be cooked for longer. In a slow cooker, they need to be cooked for 6-8 hours on low and 4 hours on high.

Lamb shanks are an ideal protein for braising, a combination-cooking method that starts with pan-searing followed by slow cooking in a liquid—usually in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker.

If you're new to lamb shanks, here's a rundown: lamb shanks are from the lower leg of lambs, and they are an inexpensive, tough cut of meat. Because of this, lamb shanks need to be slow cooked – either braised or roasted – to break down the tough meat to soften into succulent tenderness.

However, beef shanks can become extremely tender, as in: eat-it-with-a-spoon-tender if it is cooked for a long time in moist heat (like simmering it all day in your crockpot). Therefore, braising or slow cooking beef shank is ideal.

And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle. It comes out perfectly every time.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150°C to soften the meat.

Marinating the lamb in milk will draw out and settle some of its less pleasant smells and flavors. This method of milk soaking is also used for other meats with overwhelmingly gamey flavors, such as venison.

Lamb shanks are a very tough cut and need to be cooked slowly for a period of time. The fats and sinews in this cut need to render down, making for beautifully tender meat that's full of flavour. You can cook it low and slow for up to 8 hours which is great for slow cookers.

Is lamb shank worth it? ›

Lamb shank, a cut from the shin of the lamb, is one of the most flavorful cuts of lamb. The connective tissue, which gives lamb shank its flavor, also leads to toughness if not prepared correctly. Lamb shank needs to be cooked over low heat for a long time to become velvety, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone juicy.

Though far less glorified than rib chops or legs, lamb shoulder is explosively delicious and juicy – also, cheap. Like the shoulders of pigs and cows, it is a hardworking muscle rippled with intramuscular fat, which makes it ideal for stewing or braising.

There is no need to rinse raw lamb before cooking because this creates a cross-contamination hazard and is not necessary.

When preparing lamb shanks, remove the silverskin -- that whitish membrane on the outside of the meat –- and any large fatty deposits. This will lessen any gamey flavor as the meat is cooked. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the silverskin, making it easier to pull off.

Lamb shanks have a fair bit of surface fat, and lamb fat contains lanolin, which is also in wool and gives it a distinctly sheepy smell.

Cooking with wine intensifies the flavor so cooking with a bad wine will only make the flavor worse. As far as varietals, it depends on the dish but a lighter more fruity wine would be better for lamb than a deep dark cab. A Merlo, Zinfandel, Chianti, Pinot, or Syrah would all be good though.

Bordeaux reds are a safe bet for lamb, particularly a rump or rack of lamb, whereas the bolder style of Malbec or Rioja suits a braised or slow-cooked shoulder. For casseroles, look for Côtes du Rhônes or Rioja Crianza, and where there are fattier cuts of lamb in a spicy curry or tagine, try a Riesling.

The absolute best pairings for lamb are found in red wines, including a rich cabernet sauvignon, a classic Bordeaux, and Chianti. White wine lovers are not shut out here, though. A good gewürztraminer or even a California chardonnay will make a fine addition to the meal as well.

The tried-and-true tradition is to pair red meat with red wine, as many white wines are not intense enough to complement the rich flavor of lamb. Pairing wine with meals is for your personal enjoyment, however, so if you prefer white wine to red, go ahead and have them together!