Name: Braised Lamb Shanks
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 lamb shanks; 2 tsp coarse salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions; 3 carrots; 6 cloves garlic; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tin tinned tomatoes; 500 ml lamb or chicken stock; 2 sprigs rosemary; from 1 lemon lemon zest; a handful parsley

1 Brown on all sides, one or two at a time 20m

3 Return the shanks, add the liquids, bring to a bare simmer 8m

4 Braise at 150°C / 300°F until the meat retreats from the bone 3h

5 Lift the shanks out, reduce the sauce, and spoon it back over 15m

2 tsp

2 tbsp

2 Soften in the lamb fat 12m

6 cloves

1 tsp

1 tin

500 ml

2 sprigs

from 1 lemon

a handful

Liquid level matters

A braise is not a boil. The liquid should come roughly two-thirds of the way up the shanks, not cover them — the exposed tops brown further in the oven’s dry heat while the submerged part cooks in liquid. Fully covered meat cooks evenly and tastes flatter.

Notes

Turn the shanks once halfway so both sides get their turn above the liquid.
Lemon zest at the end. Three hours of braising flattens everything, and the zest puts a top note back.
Serve on something that will take the sauce: mashed potato, polenta, or plain couscous.

Method

Brown on all sides, one or two at a time

Soften in the lamb fat

Return the shanks, add the liquids, bring to a bare simmer

Braise at 150°C / 300°F until the meat retreats from the bone

Lift the shanks out, reduce the sauce, and spoon it back over

Liquid level matters

Notes