🍖 Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks with Rosemary & Veg

Serves: 4   
Prep time: 20 mins   
Cook time: 3–3½ hours
Skill level: Very little input. Huge emotional return.

🧂 Ingredients

For the shanks:
4 lamb shanks (around 300–350g each)
Salt & black pepper
2 tbsp plain flour (optional, for dusting)
2 tbsp olive oil

For the braise:
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato purée
400ml beef or lamb stock
250ml red wine
Optional: 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (for a bit of umami cheekiness)

To serve:
Creamy mash, buttery polenta, or whatever helps you survive February

🔥 Method

1. Season and sear.
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Pat the lamb dry. Season well with salt and pepper. Dust with flour if using – it helps thicken the sauce later.
In a large casserole dish, heat oil. Brown the lamb shanks on all sides (do in batches if needed), then remove and set aside.

2. Build your base.
In the same pan, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5–7 mins until softened. Add garlic, rosemary, bay, and tomato purée. Cook for another minute or two – it should smell like winter comfort is on its way.

3. Deglaze and nestle.
Pour in wine, scraping up any sticky bits. Add stock and Worcestershire sauce (if using). Stir. Nestle the lamb back in so they’re just covered. Bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Into the oven.
Pop the lid on and bake for 3–3½ hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce is rich and glossy. Flip the shanks once halfway through if you're feeling attentive.

5. Serve like a hero.
Skim off any excess fat, check seasoning, and serve with lashings of mash or something equally absorbent. Sauce goes on everything. Including your soul.

💡 Little Tip
This is a next-day flavour bomb. If you’ve got the time (and patience), make it a day ahead, refrigerate, and reheat slowly. It somehow gets better while you’re not looking.