Greek-Style Braised Lamb Shanks

Описание: Welcome to Episode 5 of My Big Fat Greek Christmas, a series in which I share Holiday recipes from my Greek Childhood and ways you can elevate your holiday traditions with some Greek flare! Today, we are making Greek-style braised Lamb Shanks!

Okay, I did something amazing with these Braised Lamb Shanks. This recipe is so fantastic. It uses warming spices like cinnamon and allspice and is slowly cooked to perfection. This meal would be the perfect dish for a dinner party or to serve over the holiday season. It’s also such a comfort meal that warms you up from the inside out. I promise you’re going to love this recipe!

I served mine with a generous serving of Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and loads of that tomato sauce the lamb was cooked in - I rate this dish a 16/10. SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

For the lamb shanks,

4 lamb shanks (about 1600g total for 4 shanks)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup pearl onions, peeled
2 celery sticks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
28 oz jar or can or tomato sauce
fresh parsley for garnish

For the mashed potatoes,

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plain cream cheese
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Instructions:

For the lamb shanks,

Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the lamb shanks and sear until well browned on all four sides.
Once browned, remove the lamb shanks to a plate or bowl and set aside.
Add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Next, combine the dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon), salt, pepper and bay leaves.
Deglaze with the wine, scrap any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and let it cook until it reduces slightly, for 3-4 minutes. Then add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Place the lamb shanks back in the pot and simmer over medium-high heat. Turn to medium-low, let it simmer for 5 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid, and bake in the oven at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the lid for the rest of the cooking time (check on them periodically through the cooking process in case you need to add more beef broth - the liquid will have reduced by ¼-⅓ by the time they’re done) or until they are tender enough to fall off the bone.

For the mashed potatoes,

Make the mashed potatoes with about 30 minutes left in the lamb shank cooking time.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your potatoes until soft and fork-tender.
Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the heat and drain the water.
Put the cooked potatoes through a ricer and set aside in a bowl. Add the butter, salt, pepper, whole milk and cream cheese to the large pot over low heat. As the butter melts, stir to combine all ingredients until the butter has fully melted. Turn the heat off.
Add the riced or mashed potatoes back to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. If you need more creaminess, add more butter or milk. Set aside covered on the stove to keep warm.
To serve
To serve, add mashed potatoes to a plate or low bowl, then the lamb shanks and some of the braising liquid. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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