Braised Lamb Shank

There is a common misconception that making a braised lamb shank is quite a difficult matter – an intimidating one even. In truth however, serving up this succulent meat dish can be quite the trivial matter – all you got to do is get your searing on point and the oven will do the rest! Then what you get in the end is a rustic dish that’s absolutely bursting with flavour; the meat will be so tender that it will practically melt off the bone and you can even serve up some fresh vegetable alongside! Now, there are quite a few ways to go about making a perfect braised lamb shank.

Ingredients 

• 6 lamb shanks
• Kosher salt for taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 of cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 425g of tomato sauce
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 cup of red wine

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to about 350°.
2. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
3. Heat up the oil in a large Dutch oven at medium-high heat.
4. Add the lamb and let each side cook for 4 minutes.
5. Remove the lamb from the oven and place on a plate. 
6. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot at medium heat.
7. Add in the onions and carrots and cook for 4 minutes.
8. For a bit of aroma add in the garlic and cook until fragrant (~1 minute).
9. Finally add in the tomato paste and stir the mix until the vegetables are coated. 
10. Mix the tomato sauce with the broth and add the lamb shanks back in.
11. Add in the rosemary and heat until it boils.
12. Shift the mix into the oven now and cook till the lamb is tender for about 2 hours. 
13. Remove lamb from pot and place on a cutting board.
14. Wrap it up with foil so as to not lose any heat.
15. Remove the rosemary.
16. Heat up the pot again and add wine – wait until it boils.
17. Bring the heat down and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
18. Once the wine thickens, add in 2 more tablespoons of butter and stir. 
19. Serve lamb with mashed potatoes and place the sauce on top of the meat.