Lamb shanks are a delicious cut of meat begging to be slow cooked. Simmered in a rich, inspired red wine sauce, the meat just slides off the bone!

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks, around 13 oz / 400g each
• 1 tsp each salt and pepper
• 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil, separated
• 1 cup onion, finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup carrot, finely diced
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 2 1/2 cups / 625 ml red wine
• 28 oz / 800g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock, low sodium (or water)
• 5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
• Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes.
• Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
• Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot, if needed. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
• Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
• Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged.
• Turn stove up, bring to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove from oven, remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb meat is ultra tender (use 2 forks) – if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
• Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
• Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies. Pour strained sauce back into pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.