Balsamic and tomato slow cooker lamb shanks

Impressive lamb shanks recipe

image
burger-thursday-badge

Serves

4

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

8 hrs

Although the shank is one of the least tender parts of the lamb (meaning it has excellent flavour), when it’s slow cooked, it falls off the bone. That’s why these balsamic and tomato slow cooker lamb shanks are a firm favourite. Make this beautiful dish to impress for a date night, or dinner party. The simple flavours marry together to give a rich and flavoursome sauce that will leave everyone wanting more.

background-image
Brooke Campbell
Print
Share
Save recipe

Ingredients

Lamb
  • 4 Quality Mark lamb shanks

  • ¼ cup white flour

  • 4 Tbsp olive oil

  • 2 onions

    thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves

    crushed
  • 2 Tbsp fresh thyme

    finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes

  • 3 carrots

    peeled and sliced
  • ⅓ tsp salt

  • ⅓ tsp black pepper

To serve
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley

    chopped
  • mashed potato

  • seasonal greens

Method

To prepare lamb
1

Turn your slow cooker to low.

2

In a small bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper.

3

Next you need to coat the lamb shanks in flour, shaking off any excess.

4

Heat a frying pan to moderate-high heat on the stove-top and add half the olive oil.

5

Brown the lamb shanks, turning often to brown all over. Browning creates the great depth of flavour you get once lamb shanks are cooked.

6

Set lamb aside.

To prepare sauce
1

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onion and garlic.

2

Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes.

3

Add the thyme, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, tomatoes and carrots, season to taste.

4

Stir well and bring to a gentle bubble then remove from the heat.

To slow cook
1

Add the sauce to the slow cooker and the lamb shanks on top.

2

It is best to have the bone sticking upwards to ensure the meat is covered by the sauce.

3

Spoon the sauce over any exposed meat.

4

Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or high for approx 4 hours, or until the meat tender and easily pulled from the bone.

To serve
1

Once cooked you may need to thicken the sauce further.

2

You can do this by removing the shanks from the sauce carefully and setting aside, then simmer the sauce rapidly in a saucepan to reduce it.

3

Additionally, you can thicken with a water and flour paste over heat.

4

Serve shanks and sauce on-top of creamy potato or kumara mash with a generous side of seasonal greens.

5

Garnish the lamb shanks with fresh parsley.

Oven method
1

Follow the preparation steps, and using an oven-proof casserole dish and cook at 140°C fan bake for 3½ - 4 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling from the bone.

Nutrition Information per Serving (625g)

This nutrition analysis is based on 4 serves and does not include the potato or seasonal greens.

Energy
2592kJ (619 kcal)
Protein
54.9g
Total Fat
27.8g
Saturated Fat
6.2g
Carbohydrate
33.6g
Dietary Fibre
7.6g
Sodium
403mg
Iron
8.4mg
Zinc
10.7mg
Vitamin B12
3.0µg