Lamb shanks fall into the comfort food, Sunday night dinner category in our home. They do take awhile to cook…not so tough to prepare though. I made these lamb shanks with 1 cup of the Sous Salt Roasted Tomato Soup recipe however you can easily substitute a cup of canned diced tomatoes. These lamb shanks are terrific made either in the slow cooker or in the oven. Just the cooking time will vary. It’s so important to brown the ingredients prior to putting them in the slow cooker….remember brown adds the layers of flavors that make the meal memorable!
ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 cc chicken stock (or demi-glace)
- 1 c Sous Salt Roasted Tomato Soup or a cup of diced canned tomatoes
- 2 T tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 springs of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 – 6 lamb shanks
- Sous Salt Porcini Mushroom & Pepper to taste
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 c red wine
- 1/2 c flour mixed with 2 t Sous Salt Fennel & Shallot
directions:
Transfer the shanks to a large serving dish. Remove the herb bundle. Using a stick blender puree some of the mixture, leaving some of it chunky. The vegetables thicken the sauce up quite nicely without having to add a roux. Pour some of the sauce over the shanks and put the rest in a gravy boat for the table. Garnish with fresh parsley. I like to make an herb & mint pesto which adds a light refreshing contrast to the richness of the shanks.
If you don’t have a slow cooker and are braising the shanks in the oven make certain you cover them thoroughly while they cook. Cook them for apx 3 hours at 350 degrees or until the meat is falling off the bone.