Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato

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Soft, tender meat falling off the bone in a delicious braising sauce, a whole braised lamb shank is a real treat, and there’s a lot of different things you can do with them. In this braised lamb shank recipe, Chef Ben Spangler demonstrates braising a shank in a cast iron pot over coals with tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs.

Tender lamb shanks braised with tomato.

The tomato absorbs the flavor of the meat, and the shank becomes meltingly tender and soft. Chef Ben does this over coals, as you can see in the video at the end of this post, but shanks can also be braised in the oven at 325°F for 1.5 hours or until tender.

This lamb dish is by chef Ben Spangler. Hailing from Minnesota, Ben draws from his Midwestern roots to create dishes that are unpretentious and delicious. Ben has competed on national television for the Food Network and appeared on local Minneapolis food networks. He is currently executive chef at Mercy in Minneapolis.

Chef Ben Spangler.

Looking to buy lamb or goat online? Shepherd Song Farm: Grass to table. We raise lambs & goats traditionally, humanely and sustainably. 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Never Confined, no Hormones, Grains or Animal Byproducts. Born, raised and processed in the U.S.A. Good for you and good for the environment.

Plating the finished tender fall off the bone lamb shanks.

More Braised Lamb Recipes

Braised Stuffed Lamb Hearts

Braised Spicy Lamb Meatballs

Braised Lamb Sausage for Pasta

Lamb Shanks Braised with Tomato

Tender braised lamb shanks in tomato sauce garnished with roasted vegetables.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings People

Calories 213kcal

Equipment

1 Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 lb Shepherd Song Farm lamb shank or two smaller foreshanks
1 large garlic clove or 2-3 small
1 fennel bulb
4 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 bunch Italian parsley + 2 Tablespoons
1 can stewed tomatoes 32 oz size
1 cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Water as needed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Vegetables

Season shanks with salt and pepper. Dice onion and rough chop garlic.
Cut the fennel bulb in half, then cut 1 half into quarters and the other half into thin slices
Peel carrots and quarter half of them. Rough chop the remaining carrots.
Cut the tomatoes into wedges and dice the celery stalk.
Slice the chives and reserve.

Cooking Lamb Shanks

Add some oil to the pan, then brown the shanks on high heat, then remove from pan and set aside.
Add the onions, celery and fennel to the pan and brown gently.
Add fresh and canned tomatoes, herbs and spices.
Return the shank to the pot and add water to cover the meat halfway. Add additional water as needed to prevent the shanks from drying out.
Pan sear the remaining quartered carrots and fennel when the shank is nearly cooked, about 1.25 hours, and cook until tender.
When the lamb shank is tender, about 1.5 hours, remove the pot from the oven.

Serve

Ladle some braising liquid into bowl and add shank on top, garnishing with additional braising sauce as desired.
Garnish with the roasted vegetables, minced chives and parsley, olive oil and black pepper.