Slow Cooked Red Wine and Rosemary Lamb Shanks

Slow-cooked lamb shanks are rich, deeply savoury and perfect for cold evenings. The long cooking time breaks down the connective tissue until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, while the red wine and herbs create a glossy, flavour-packed sauce.

Serves: 2–3
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3–3½ hours

Ingredients

  • 700g lamb shanks
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 250ml red wine
  • 500ml stock
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt & black pepper

Method

(See our cooking methods page for helpful tips to get the most out of your meat)

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole dish over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks well on all sides, then remove and set aside.
  3. Add the onion and carrots to the same pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
  4. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant and slightly darkened.
  5. Pour in the red wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. Return the lamb shanks to the pot. Add the stock, rosemary and bay leaves. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat.
  7. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3–3½ hours until the meat is very tender and pulling away from the bone.
  8. Remove the shanks and keep warm. If the sauce is too thin, simmer it on the hob for 10–15 minutes to reduce and thicken.

Serving Ideas

  • On creamy mashed potatoes with plenty of sauce
  • With soft polenta or parmesan mash
  • With crusty bread to mop up the gravy
  • Alongside roasted root vegetables
  • With buttered green beans or wilted spinach

Tips

Browning the shanks properly at the start makes a noticeable difference to the depth of flavour in the final sauce. Don’t rush this step.

If the meat isn’t falling off the bone after the cooking time, it simply needs longer. Return it to the oven in 20–30 minute intervals until it loosens easily.