When the Melbourne weather turns cold, as it has in the last few weeks, few cuts reward you like a lamb shank. It’s a bone-in, slow-cooking cut that turns tender and rich after a few hours in the oven or slow cooker. The connective tissue breaks down, the meat loosens from the bone, and the cooking liquid becomes a deep, savoury sauce. It’s hearty winter food that mostly looks after itself once it’s in the pot.
At Church Street Butcher, our lamb shanks are sourced from trusted Victorian farms and hand-trimmed in store. They’re one of the best-value premium cuts you can cook at home. One shank per person is the usual serve for the bone-in cut, and they freeze well if you want to cook ahead.
Below are three of our favourite ways to cook them. One is a classic red wine braise, one takes the smoky route for tacos, and one shreds into a rich pasta ragù. All three start the same way, with a good sear and a long, slow cook.
Why Lamb Shanks Suit Slow Cooking
Lamb shank comes from the lower leg, so it’s a hard-working muscle with plenty of connective tissue. Cook it fast and it stays tough. Cook it low and slow and that same tissue melts into gelatine, which is what gives a braise its body and shine.
A few things make the difference every time:
- Sear first. Brown the shanks well on all sides before they go in the liquid. This builds the base flavour for the whole dish.
- Keep the heat low. Around 160–170°C in the oven, or the low setting on a slow cooker, is the sweet spot. There’s no rush.
- Give it time. Most shanks need two to three hours in the oven, or up to seven hours in a slow cooker, before the meat gives way easily.
- Rest and reduce. Once the meat is tender, lift it out and reduce the sauce over high heat to concentrate the flavour.
Red Wine, Balsamic and Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks
This is the one to cook when you want a proper sit-down winter dinner. The shanks are seared, then braised with eschallots, red wine, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and rosemary for around two and a half hours. The wine and stock cook down into a glossy sauce, with the balsamic adding a gentle sweet-sour edge and the rosemary keeping it fresh.
Serve it over olive oil mash with a side of broccolini. It feeds four and the sauce is worth every minute on the stovetop at the end. This is comfort food with a bit of polish, and it’s hard to beat on a cold Brighton night.
Ingredients
- 4 Lamb shanks (trimmed)
- 8 Eschallots (peeled)
- 1 cup Red wine
- 2 cup Chicken stock
- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
- 2 long sprig Rosemary
- Olive oil mash and broccolini (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place a heavy based casserole over a moderately high heat. Rub some olive oil over the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Sear for 8 minutes or until browned all over. Remove the shanks and set aside.
- Place the shallots in the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until coloured. Add the wine, stock, vinegar and rosemary along with the lamb. Bring up to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours or until very tender. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Turn them over once or twice if they are colouring too much.
- Use a spoon to skim off any fat that has risen to the surface and reduce the sauce over a high heat if necessary. Serve with olive oil mash and steamed brocollini.
Smoked Lamb Shank Tacos
If you’ve got a smoker or a covered BBQ, this one is a great weekend project. The shanks are rubbed and smoked low and slow until a crust forms, then braised in dark beer and stock until the meat shreds easily off the bone. You get deep, smoky flavour through the whole shank rather than just on the surface.
Pile the shredded lamb into warm corn or flour tortillas and top with a fresh pico de gallo of tomato, onion, coriander and jalapeño, a squeeze of lime, and a little feta or cotija. The bright, sharp toppings cut through the rich meat. It feeds six and turns a couple of shanks into a shared feast. This recipe comes to us from Derek Lau.
Get stuck into these mouth-watering lamb shank tacos, brought to you by Derek Lau.
Ingredients
- 6 Lamb shanks (trimmed)
- Lamb rub of choice
- 375 millilitre Dark beer/stout
- 2 cup Vegetable stock
- Rosemary sprigs
- 3-4 clove Garlic
- 4 Tomatoes
- 2/3 White onion
- 1 bunch Coriander
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 Lime
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- small Corn or flour tortillas
- Pico de gallo (from above)
- Feta or cotija cheese
- Coriander
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare your BBQ for indirect grilling at a temperature of around 120-135 degrees Celsius.
- To prepare the shanks, cover the shanks on all sides with the rub of choice. Place onto the BBQ on an indirect heat, and smoke for approximately 2-3 hours until the internal temperature is around 70-80 degrees or until there is a nice bark.
- Remove the shanks, and place into an open tray. Add in enough braising liquid to come halfway up the lamb shank, this will help to retain the crust on top. I’ll use about half stock and half of the stout, then add in the rosemary and garlic.
- Return the shanks (in the tray) back to the BBQ (uncovered) and cook until the internal temperature is 97 degrees which will take another 2-3 hours. If you cover the shanks, this will reduce the cooking time but you’ll lose that delicious crust so it’s up to you.
- Remove the shanks when at temperature, wrap in foil and set aside to rest. Reduce the liquid on the stove down to a jus which you can drizzle over your taco or dip it into. When ready to serve, shred the shanks using two forks.
- For the pico de gallo, dice all ingredients and mix together.
- Alternatively, use a food processor to combine all ingredients. You want it to be roughly chopped, and not minced. Add lime and salt to flavour.
- To serve, place a generous spoonful of the pico de gallo in the base of the taco, top with the shredded lamb, feta and coriander. Serve with lime wedges and add hot sauce and other condiments as required.
Notes
- If lamb shanks are unavailable you could use another cut like lamb shoulder or leg.
- The ‘low and slow’ method of cooking here is all about internal temperatures instead of timing. Be sure to use a temperature probe to ensure that the internal temp is as specified above.
- Alternatively, if you do not have access to a BBQ you can also do this same recipe on the stove. Follow the same process through rubbing the shanks, then add them onto a roasting trivet. Roast at the same temperature specified in the recipe until a bark has formed (approximately 2-3 hours again) and then place them into the roasting tray with the braising liquid to bring up to temperature.
- Let the meat rest after cooking to lock in tasty juices and flavours.
Recipe by @_dereklau_
Lamb Shank and Mushroom Ragù
This is the most versatile of the three. Two shanks are seared with brown mushrooms, then simmered slowly in tomato passata and beef stock with thyme and rosemary for close to three hours, until the meat falls away and you can shred it back through the sauce. The mushrooms add a savoury, earthy depth that suits the lamb well.
Toss it through pappardelle with parmesan, basil and a handful of greens, or serve it over polenta, quinoa or couscous if you’d rather skip the pasta. It’s an easy one to stretch across a family meal, and it works just as well in the slow cooker (four hours on high or seven on low). Leftovers are arguably better the next day.
Ingredients
- 2 Lamb shanks (approx.1.4kg, excess fat trimmed)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 250 gram Brown mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 clove Garlic (crushed)
- 1 large Brown onion (finely chopped)
- 2 Carrots (peeled, finely chopped)
- 2 Celery sticks (finely chopped)
- 700 gram Tomato passata
- 1 cup Salt-reduced beef stock (250ml)
- 4 sprig Thyme
- 2 sprig Rosemary (leaves finely chopped)
- ½ bunch Kale (shredded)
- 375 gram Pappardelle pasta
- 120 gram Baby rocket leaves (to serve)
- Grated parmesan (40g), baby basil leaves, lemon wedges (to serve)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season lamb shanks and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-7 mins or until browned all over. Transfer to a large bowl. Add mushrooms to same pan. Cook for 5 mins or until tender. Transfer to bowl with lamb.
- Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery to pan, adding a little extra oil, if necessary. Cook for 5 mins or until onion softens. Return lamb, mushrooms and any juices to pan. Add passata, stock, thyme, rosemary. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 2-2 ¼ hours or until lamb is falling off the bone, turning shanks occasionally. Use tongs to transfer lamb to a heatproof bowl and coarsely shred lamb using 2 forks. Discard bones. Return lamb to tomato mixture. Stir through kale. Season. Remove thyme stalks.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain well.
- Divide pasta and lamb ragu among serving bowls. Top with parmesan and basil leaves. Serve with baby rocket and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Slow cooker option – Follow instructions in recipe to the point where you return lamb, mushrooms and juices to the pan. Instead add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 7 hours, until lamb is very tender.
- Serve leftover ragu with polenta, quinoa or cous cous and your choice of vegetables.
Choosing Your Shank Recipe
All three start with the same quality cut, so pick the one that suits your week:
- Want a classic roast-night feel? Go with the red wine braise.
- Cooking for a crowd or firing up the smoker? The tacos are made for sharing.
- Need a make-ahead family dinner? The mushroom ragù stretches the furthest and reheats beautifully.
Pop into Church Street Butcher on Church Street, Brighton, and we’ll sort you out with hand-trimmed lamb shanks and a bit of advice on quantities. Bring your recipe in mind, and we’ll help you get the cut right.
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