Chef John's Braised Lamb Shanks

4.3
(12)

You don't often see lamb cooked with these spices, but they work together wonderfully in Chef John's braised lamb shanks recipe. The final plate ended up being a sort of North African-Central American fusion, with the fragrantly spiced meat and peppers resting on a simple bed of couscous.

3
3
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs 10 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 25 mins
Servings:
4
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings

  • 4 lamb shanks

  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth, divided

  • 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously season lamb shanks with salt and black pepper.

  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb shanks; cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer shanks to a plate; drain off all but 1 tablespoon oil.

  3. Add onion, garlic, and 1 pinch salt to the Dutch oven; decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, and ground cinnamon; stir to combine.

  4. Pour 1 cup chicken broth over onion mixture; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Return lamb shanks to the Dutch oven; cover and cook in the preheated oven for 90 minutes.

  5. Place Dutch oven on stovetop. Stir in jalapeño peppers, bell pepper and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth; bring to a boil. Return Dutch oven to the oven; cook, uncovered, until lamb shanks are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer shanks to plate.

  6. Return Dutch oven to the stovetop over high heat; bring liquid to a boil and cook, skimming off any foam, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Spoon sauce over lamb shanks then serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

289 Calories
15g Fat
10g Carbs
28g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 289
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 89mg 30%
Sodium 82mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 28g 56%
Vitamin C 49mg 54%
Calcium 35mg 3%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 553mg 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.