Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek sliced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 400 g can cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons basil or your herb of choice, chopped, plus extra to serve
To add later:
- 200 g mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Pat the lamb shanks dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Lightly dust them with flour to help create a rich sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb shanks on all sides (about 2–3 minutes per side), then transfer them to the slow cooker.
- Add the leek, garlic, celery, carrot, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beef stock, and herbs to the slow cooker. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours or high for 5–6 hours, until the lamb is tender and falling off the bone.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the lamb shanks from the slow cooker and set them aside on a plate, covered to keep warm.
- In the final 30–45 minutes of cooking, sauté the sliced mushrooms in a dry or lightly oiled pan until golden. Stir the mushrooms through the sauce in the slow cooker and allow them to simmer and infuse for another 20–30 minutes.
- Put back the lamb shanks to the slow cooker just before serving, nestling them back into the rich sauce to warm through.
- Serve hot, spooning the sauce and vegetables generously over each lamb shank. Enjoy with creamy mashed potato, soft polenta, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Freezer-friendly: This dish freezes well. Allow to cool completely, then remove the lamb from the bone and portion the meat with sauce into airtight containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and reheat gently with a splash of stock or water.
- Dump bag-friendly: Add all ingredients except the lamb shanks, mushrooms, flour, and oil to a large freezer-safe bag. Label and freeze flat. When ready to cook, defrost overnight in the fridge. Brown the lamb shanks with flour and oil, then add to the slow cooker with the contents of the bag. Add mushrooms in the final stage.
- Oven-friendly: Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan forced). In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe casserole dish, follow steps 1–3 above. Cover tightly with a lid and bake for 2.5–3 hours, until lamb is tender. Stir in mushrooms during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
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