Name: How to Cook Braised Lamb Shanks
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 4 lamb shanks, about 400g each; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large brown onion, diced; 2 carrots, cut into thick rounds; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 250ml dry red wine; 400g tin crushed tomatoes; 500ml beef or chicken stock; 2 bay leaves; 2 sprigs rosemary; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

This is a from-scratch recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks. If you have bought a prepared Providoor dish, use its product instructions instead; the raw ingredients and cooking times below do not apply to reheating it.

Recipe yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks, about 400g each
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown onion, diced
2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
2 celery stalks, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
250ml dry red wine
400g tin crushed tomatoes
500ml beef or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the oven and season. Heat the oven to 160°C. Pat the shanks completely dry with paper towel and season them generously with salt and pepper on every surface.
Brown the shanks. Heat the olive oil in a heavy lidded casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks in two batches, 8 to 10 minutes each, turning until every side is deeply coloured. Set them aside on a plate.
Build the base. Lower the heat. Cook the onion, carrot and celery in the same pot for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato paste for 2 minutes, stirring until it darkens.
Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned base of the pot clean with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half.
Assemble the braise. Return the shanks to the pot and add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, rosemary and oregano. The liquid should come roughly two thirds of the way up the shanks, not over them, so the exposed dome can brown while the submerged meat braises.
Cook low and slow. Bring the pot to a bare simmer on the stovetop, cover it tightly and transfer it to the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. Do not open it for the first two hours.
Check for doneness. The shanks are ready when the meat has visibly retracted up the bone, a fork twists in the thickest part with no resistance, and a thermometer reads 93 to 95°C in the centre. If it is not there yet, give it another 30 minutes and check again.
Reduce and rest. Lift the lid and return the pot to the oven for a final 30 minutes to reduce the sauce, or lift the shanks out and reduce the liquid on the stovetop. Skim the surface fat, rest the shanks for 10 minutes and spoon the sauce over to serve.

Serving and preparation notes

Cooking times depend on your equipment and ingredient size. Keep raw-food preparation separate from ready-to-eat food and follow appropriate storage directions. This recipe is distinct from the product sold below.

Prefer a prepared dish?

Tuscan Braised Lamb Shanks is a separate product with its own ingredients, serving count and preparation. Check the current page and latest packaging before use.

For prepared meals, use the reheating guide. Explore the current menu and postcode delivery.

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Providoor Editorial Team

Content and food research at Providoor. We write about premium frozen meals, Australian food delivery and the chefs behind the dishes, drawing on direct relationships with our chef partners — Marco Pierre White, George Calombaris, Silvia Colloca, Christine Manfield and Anna Polyviou — and check every claim against the live menu before publishing. Nutrition and food-safety statements are checked against Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Department of Health.