Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks (Printer-friendly)

Tender lamb shanks simmered in aromatic sauce, served atop fragrant rosemary-infused creamy polenta.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Lamb Shanks

01 - 4 lamb shanks (approx. 14 oz each)
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 2/3 cups red wine
09 - 2 cups beef or lamb stock
10 - 1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes
11 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
12 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Rosemary Polenta

15 - 4 cups water
16 - 1 1/4 cups coarse polenta (cornmeal)
17 - 1 tsp salt
18 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
19 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
20 - 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 320°F.
02 - Pat lamb shanks dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb shanks on all sides. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for one minute.
06 - Pour in red wine, scraping up browned bits from the pot's bottom, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly reduce.
07 - Add stock, chopped tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Return lamb shanks to the pot, ensuring they are mostly submerged.
08 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, turning shanks once or twice, until the meat is tender.
09 - About 30 minutes before lamb finishes, bring water and salt to a boil. Whisk in polenta gradually, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes until creamy.
10 - Stir butter, Parmesan, and chopped rosemary into polenta. Adjust seasoning as needed.
11 - Remove lamb shanks from oven; discard herb stems and bay leaves. If sauce is thin, simmer uncovered until reduced to desired thickness. Serve lamb atop rosemary polenta with sauce spooned over.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The meat becomes impossibly tender without any fussing once it hits the oven, leaving you free to do other things.
  • One pot does almost everything, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the meal with people you like.
  • The polenta soaks up that glossy, aromatic sauce in a way that makes even a simple plate feel luxurious.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes like you spent all day cooking, but most of that time is just the oven doing the work.
02 -
  • Don't rush the searing step—a good brown crust on the lamb is where most of the deep flavor comes from, and it takes time to develop properly.
  • Stir the polenta constantly near the end because it thickens fast and can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn if you're not paying attention.
  • Taste and adjust the sauce seasoning before serving because all that cooking time can mellow flavors in unexpected ways.
03 -
  • Choose lamb shanks of similar size so they cook evenly—ask your butcher to select matching pieces for you.
  • If your sauce tastes dull after cooking, a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch more salt can wake it up instantly.

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