My lamb shanks in red wine. Slow & tender :)

My lamb shanks in red wine. Slow & tender :)

Ingredients (4–6 servings)

• 4–6 lamb shanks

• Butter (a good knob)

• Salt + freshly ground black pepper

• 2–3 shallots

• 8–12 garlic cloves

• 1–1.5 bottles red wine

• 2–3 dl veal stock (or beef stock)

• 1–1.5 handfuls thyme

• 1–1.5 handfuls rosemary

• 1–1.5 lemons (a little freshly squeezed juice)

For the sauce

• Butter-flour paste (beurre manié) or cornstarch slurry

• A little cream

• A little gastrique

How to make it

1. Brown the shanks.
   Melt a good knob of butter on high heat in a large pot and brown the lamb shanks thoroughly on all sides. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Add shallots + garlic.
   Roughly chop the shallots. Peel the garlic and lightly crush the cloves under the knife. Add both to the pot with the lamb.

3. Wine + herbs + lemon.
   Pour in the red wine. Add thyme and rosemary. Squeeze in a little lemon juice.

4. Simmer, covered, 2½ hours.
   Put the lid on, turn the heat down, and let the lamb shanks simmer for about 2½ hours until they are completely tender.

5. Rest the meat.
   Lift the shanks out carefully (the meat can fall apart). Place them on a nice serving platter. Cover with foil and then a tea towel.

6. Reduce + thicken the sauce.
   Let the cooking liquid (“sky”) boil down a little. Thicken with a beurre manié.
   If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water or more veal stock.
   You can also thicken with cornstarch mixed with a little cold water.

7. Finish with cream + seasoning + gastrique.
   Add a little cream, then taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and a little gastrique.

8. Serve.
   Spoon a little sauce over the lamb shanks on the platter and serve the rest in a sauce bowl on the side.

Chef tips (only if you want it even better)

• Dry the shanks before browning. Pat them dry with kitchen paper first. You get deeper browning and a richer sauce.

• Don’t burn the butter. If your pot runs very hot, add a tiny splash of neutral oil with the butter. Same flavor, less risk.

• Quick gastrique (worth it). In a small pan: melt 1 tbsp sugar until light caramel, add 1 tbsp vinegar (careful, it steams), stir, and add 1–2 tbsp of it to the sauce until it tastes “finished” (not sweet—just balanced).