This Lamb Is Fall-off-the-Bone Tender and Deeply Flavorful

What’s the secret to this delicious dish? Oven-braise the lamb shanks in a mixture of wine and stock. Daniel J. van Ackere/TCA

Braising lamb shanks turns this richly flavored but tough cut of meat meltingly tender. However, the high fat content of lamb all too often leads to a greasy sauce. We avoid this pitfall by trimming the shanks well and then browning them before adding liquid to get a head start on rendering their fat. We also de-fat the braising liquid after the shanks have cooked. We use more liquid than is called for in many braises to guarantee that plenty remains in the pot despite about an hour of uncovered cooking.

Lamb Shanks Braised in Red Wine With Herbes de Provence

Serves 6

• 6 (12- to 16-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon plus a pinch of table salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• 2 onions, sliced thick
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat lamb shanks dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown three shanks on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer shanks to a large plate and repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining three shanks.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, garlic, herbes de Provence, and remaining pinch of salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in wine, then broth, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a simmer. Nestle shanks, along with any accumulated juices, into pot.

Return to a simmer and cover; transfer pot to oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue to cook until tops of shanks are browned, about 30 minutes. Flip shanks and continue to cook until remaining sides are browned and fork slips easily in and out of shanks, 15 to 30 minutes longer.

Remove pot from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks and vegetables to a large plate and tent with aluminum foil. Skim fat from braising liquid and season liquid with salt and pepper to taste. Return shanks to braising liquid to warm through before serving.

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