It always amazes me how dishes like these slow cooked Port Braised Lamb Shanks served up by fancy restaurants are actually made with a handful of everyday ingredients!
Along with the classic Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce, there’s nothing tricky about this recipe. Just patience to let them cook slowly. Budget ingredients to make posh restaurant food!
Port Braised Lamb Shanks
I think I’m a pretty relaxed cook but regular readers know I have a few gripes. One is pretty photos for recipes that taste blah. And the other is recipes that demand that expensive wine be used for cooking, otherwise, don’t bother.
I love my wine. And if I buy expensive wine, I want to drink it straight. Not simmered for 3 hours.
And I guarantee, if the poshest of restaurant critics did a taste test of these Port Braised Lamb Shanks with an expensive vs discount bottle of port, they would struggle to tell the difference! (And the New York Times agrees….)
I won’t deny that using a $50 vs $10 bottle of port makes a difference. But the difference is not worth $40, I promise you that. These Port Braised Lamb Shanks taste so expensive, you can tell your guests you used a vintage 1980’s port and they would believe you! 😉
Even with the simplest of ingredients, slow cooking does wonders and I truly believe this to be an epic example of such. It is the same with my Italian Beef Ragu and Irish Beef Stew.
And this Port Braised Lamb Shanks is right up there with them. Look at that sauce. Glistening, rich, full of flavour.
Cooking Lamb Shanks
Lamb Shanks is one of my favourite slow cooking cuts. Cooking meat on the bone is always the best way to slow cook meats, like with slow cooked Beef Short Ribs and Osso Bucco. The meat is juicier and I’m 100% convinced it’s more flavourful too!
Lamb shanks are a tough cut of meat that require slow cooking to turn them into molten goodness. The cheaper and tougher the cut, the more flavourful. And lamb shanks are no exception.
There is no need to provide a knife when you serve this. The meat is so soft, you just need a fork. Or spoon. 🙂
I made this in my dutch oven, but you can make it in a slow cooker or even in the oven and I’ve provided instructions for all in the recipe.
When I’m entertaining, slow cooked foods like this are my “go to” because they’re impressive and can be made ahead. They taste fantastic on the day, but even better the day after – and the day after!
I really love serving my Port Braised Lamb Shanks with creamy mashed potato. I’ve tried mashed cauliflower and polenta, but I just don’t think they are as good as the classic ole’ mash.
Who else is up for some slow cooked comfort this weekend??? – Nagi x
More slow cooked fall-apart meat
I’m a big fan of slow cooked meats!!
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Osso Buco – traditional Italian slow cooked veal
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Browse the Winter Comfort Food collection!
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Port Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks , approx 400g/13oz each (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (white, brown, yellow)
- 1 celery stalk , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
- 1 carrot , finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
- 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup flour (35g)
- 2 cups / 500 ml beef broth (liquid beef stock) (or sub with chicken broth)
- 3 cups / 750 ml port (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups / 375ml red wine , or more beef broth (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 5 sprigs thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 dried bay leaves (or 5 fresh)
- 4 stalks fresh parsley (optional)
To Serve
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped
Instructions
- Season lamb with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven or large heavy based pot over high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook, turning, until browned (see photo). Remove then repeat with remaining lamb.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil, garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until onion is softened.
- Add flour. Mix into onion mixture.
- Add remaining ingredients. Mix - lumps are ok, they will dissolve while cooking.
- Add lamb back in - the meat should be mostly submerged. Bring to simmer, then turn heat down to medium low and cover with lid.
- Simmer for 2 hours (Note 4) then remove lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove lamb into a bowl.
- Optional: Strain sauce in dutch oven into a bowl. Use spoon to press into onion etc to squeeze out all the flavourful liquid. Pour sauce into dutch oven. (Note 5)
- Skim excess fat off sauce.
- Increase heat to medium high and reduce liquid by half or until it thickens to a syrup consistency.
- Return lamb shanks and juices pooled in the bowl into sauce to reheat, then serve with creamy mashed potato, garnished with parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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LIFE OF DOZER
Beach-wet-Dozer eyeing off the lamb shanks, thinking Christmas came early….
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Thank you Nagi for your amazing recipes. You are my favourite recipe site.
I cooked this Lamb Shanks recipe & it was really delicious. Cooked in slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
I kept the leftover sauce & slow cooked big pieces of lamb shoulder the next night, again in slow cooker . It was outstanding!!! The sauce became even better than the first cook. Served with your easy zucchini. Will definitely do this again & again
Nearly didn´t make this because there was no video, but then I told my self off and I´m so glad I didn´t wimp out because it was outstanding, oh and the sauce, wow. Guess what… your book arrived in my house yesterday, I jumped with joy and I´ve been looking through it since then and still at it. Making your Standing rib roast later for Easter Sunday, can´t wait. Happy Easter to you and Dozer x
Hi Nagi, I´m making this tomorrow so could you please ask Dozer for me if I could use Marsala instead of port, I have that to hand but not the port but I´ll buy some if Dozer says no, thank you both x
I’ll try, again, to say how awesome this recipe is!!
I followed the recipe exactly and the lamb came out perfect. Fabulous dish. Thanks Nagi.
I’m not seeing if you specified which type of port.
Ruby or Tawny port preferred? Tawny Port might reduce the sweetness.
Never mind – found the note. 🙂
By far the most amazing slow cooked lamb shank recipe I have ever used! I cooked it in the oven and it worked an absolute treat. It actually tasted even better than the photo suggested! Will be on the winter rotation in this house.
Amazing meal now making it for 12 should I treble dry ingredients and double liquid ??? Any advice gratefully received thank you in advance
You may not have enough liquid to mostly submerge the shanks – to be safe I would triple the whole recipe Docho and split between pans. N x
Amazing meal now making it for 12 should I treble dry ingredients and double liquid ??? Any advice gratefully received
I was lucky enough to score some lamb bones. What do you think about using some homemade lamb broth in place of the beef broth?
That would be delicious too Karin! N x
Excellent recipe!
Great recipe!
I used a mid sized braiser to simmer the lamb so I had to cut back on the amounts of port & wine in the recipe.
The lamb was very tender but not as flavorful as I would have expected given the ingredients. Separating the solids from the fluids may also have robbed the sauce of some of its flavor. But I will see if the next-day reheat improves the taste.
Until this recipe I have loved all of Nagi’s. I found this one to be far too sweet and was very disappointed with the end result.
I wonder if “3” cups of port was a typo.
However, a big thank you Nagi’s for all your other delicious recipies.
Yes port is much sweeter than say a red wine braise. 3 cups is correct…maybe try these next time as they are not as sweet: https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooked-lamb-shanks-in-red-wine-sauce/ N x
Did 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups port & 1 1/2 cups red wine.
Thank you for your receipe,
Nagi.
It was delicious !
Great recipe! The port really added a lot of flavor … i made lamb shanks about with just red wine before, but with the port it added more depth to the lamb! I used ruby port and zinfandel … but i used almond flour instead of regular {keto}; and it tasted just fine! Excellent!!!
I made this the other night and I’m sorry to say we didn’t enjoy it. The sauce was very sweet from the port, and I had to tweek it a lot so it was edible (to us). I used a $10 bottle of Ruby port, and the wine was a 2019 Shiraz from the Clare Valley. I followed the recipe, so I’m not sure what went wrong. If I make it again I’ll drastically reduce the quantity of port and replace it with more stock and red wine.
Not sure why it’s showing 5 stars, as unfortunately I’d rate it as a 2, due to the excessive sweetness.
If cooking in slow cooker for 8 hours- do you still do steps 1-5 first before throwing into the slow cooker?
Fantastic – we all loved this dish – thanks so much Nagi
I made this a few weeks ago for dinner with friends, served with roasted cauliflower mash, brussel sprouts, and garlic bread. Loved it so much that we are making the exact same meal tonight. Thank you for such a great recipe!!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out superb, served on mashed potatoes with roasted brussel sprouts. Nagi, I noticed you have two slightly different recipes for lamb shanks… this one with red wine (cooked in oven) and another with port wine simmered on the stove. I decided to combine both recipes. Instead of chicken stock I used equal parts red wine and ruby port. I left out the canned tomatoes, but did add tomato paste. Two large lamb shanks fit perfectly in my cast iron cocotte and cooked it in the oven. I strained the mirepoix as you did and the reduced sauce was perfectly syrupy and delicious. I will definitely make this again!
Nice! Used homemade beef stock, leftover port and a bottle of Pinot used a pressure cooker for 45 min. Perfectly tender. Lots of sauce which took awhile to reduce. Classic.