Easy slow cooker lamb shanks in gravy
This comforting slow cooker meal will be a hit with the whole family. Delicious melt-in-your-mouth lamb with a decadent, rich gravy. Plus, it's super simple to make, too.
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 celery sticks chopped
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomato paste or tomato puree
- 500 ml lamb stock or beef if you don't have lamb
- 250 ml red wine a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir are perfect – nothing too expensive
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Salt and black pepper to season
- 2-3 teaspoons cornflour mixed with a little cold water to thicken the gravy
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides (8-10 minutes total). Transfer to slow cooker.
- In the same pan, sauté onions, carrots, and celery for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bubble for 2 minutes, then add lamb stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Pour everything over the lamb shanks in the slow cooker. Add bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. The liquid should come halfway up the shanks.
- Slow cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. The meat will be practically falling off the bone.
- Carefully remove shanks and put to one side. Keep warm.
- Strain cooking liquid through a sieve, pressing vegetables to extract flavour. Skim excess oil and then pour into a pan and simmer until reduced, or whisk in cornflour/cornstarch slurry, made up of 3tsps of cornflour and 3tsps of water, and simmer until thickened.
- Plate the lamb shanks and serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Pour over lashings of the gravy. And garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make this in a heavy casserole dish or Dutch oven. Brown your shanks and vegetables as described, add your braising liquid, then cover tightly and cook in a 160°C oven for about 3-4 hours until fork tender. You may find you need to add more water if the liquid evaporates.
- If you don't want to use wine, you can add the same amount of stock, with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 42gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 486mgPotassium: 577mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5360IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 4mg