Description
Oven Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate – a festive, Moroccan-inspired lamb recipe that is elegant and delicious! Succulent lamb shanks are roasted in the oven until tender and falling off the bone then drizzled with a flavorful pomegranate sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks (3/4 lb- 1 lb each)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion- diced
- 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 1/2 cups fennel bulb, diced (or sub celery-diced)
- 1 1/2 cups carrot diced (or sub parsnip)
- 1 small red beet, scrubbed and diced (optional, this is for glorious color, about 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups rich red wine (cab or merlot) or ruby port (even better!)
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 cups chicken stock or beef broth
- 7-10 rosemary sprigs (or sub thyme sprigs ), more for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)
- optional - 3-inch x strip of orange zest (use a veggie peeler)
- Add to taste after braising: splash maple syrup or honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper
- Garnish: pomegranate seeds, rosemary sprigs, fresh Italian parsley or mint leaves.
Serve over creamy polenta or couscous, or mashed potatoes, or mashed sweet potatoes
Instructions
Tip: This recipe for oven-braised lamb shanks is fairly straightforward and can be done in about 3 ½-4 hours, but I suggest, for your first time, plan an extra hour, or make them ahead and reheat.
1. Prep the lamb shanks. Preheat the oven to 350F. Let the lamb shanks come to room temperature by unwrapping them and letting them sit on the counter for 20 minutes. Season the lamb with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
2. Sear the lamb shanks. Add oil to a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and bring to medium-high heat (or medium heat). Sear the lamb shanks in batches, turning them over to sear all sides, taking your time. When nice and browned, set them aside.
3. Make the braising liquid. To the same pan, add onion, garlic, carrot and fennel. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and golden, roughly 8-10 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine, and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock, pomegranate juice, beet, orange peel, herbs, spices, wine, and stir. Bring to a simmer.
4. Braise the lamb shanks. Nestle the lamb shanks into the pot bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the lid. At this point, the lamb should be very tender, and the internal temperature should be 195–205°F. (Larger shanks will take longer to cook, and smaller shanks will take less time. If in doubt, check after 1 1/2 hours.) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove the lamb shanks from the pan and keep them warm on a plate or in a baking dish.
6. Make the sauce. Skim the fat and strain the braising liquid. Once strained, add the braising liquid back to the pot, bring to a gentle simmer on the stove, and reduce if needed. (See notes)
7. Taste. Season with honey ( I like to add 1-2 tablespoons), salt and pepper, and/or a splash of balsamic vinegar if you want more acid. A squeeze of fresh orange juice is nice, too!
8. Garnish and serve. Arrange the lamb shanks on a serving platter and pour some sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds, fresh parsely and a few sprigs of rosemary.
Notes
If new to braising meat- the internal temp must reach 190F and stay there a while for the tough fibers to break down and become tender. The longer you braise, the more tender it will get, as long as it’s in the braising liquid. In this case, I like the lamb to be fork-tender, but not so tender that it literally falls off the bone. It still tastes delicious, but then you’ll lose that lovely bone-in presentation.
Making ahead. The shanks can be braised ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in the braising liquid (for up to 4 days), then reheated. The fat will rise to the top and will harden, making it easy to remove. This is especially nice if making for larger groups, or you can make several batches ahead. When catering for large groups, we would braise the shanks in large deep hotel pans covered with parchment and 2 layers of foil. Store in the braising liquid, then reheat.
It is imperative to taste the sauce after you cook it down a bit. Add salt to taste, and I feel the honey is truly needed here- it balances out the tartness of the pomegranate juice.
If you want an even thicker sauce, whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Whisk into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat off. Alternatively, you could blend ( in a blender) some of the strained onion, fennel/beet mixture into the sauce to thicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lamb shank ( 8 ounces cooked meat) with sauce
- Calories: 571
- Sugar: 17.6 g
- Sodium: 456.4 mg
- Fat: 26.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.2 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 54.7 g
- Cholesterol: 178.5 mg
