Best Orange Braised Lamb Shanks Recipes

ORANGE BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a suitable casserole dish, sweat the diced vegetables in some of the olive oil without browning until tender.
• Add the thyme, bay leaves, garlic, tomato, wine and lamb stock or water, along with most of the orange zest and juice (retain a few pinches of zest and 1 tbsp of juice).
• Bring to the boil and lower to a gentle simmer.
• Heat a little more olive oil in a separate pan and brown the lamb shanks on all sides, seasoning with a little salt and pepper as you go.
• Transfer to the casserole dish and cover with its lid.
• Transfer to the oven and cook for approx 2hours or until the meat is completely tender and coming off the bone.
• Remove the shanks from the pan and keep warm while you finish the sauce.
• Skim off some of the fat that is floating on it. Taste for seasoning and to assess its intensity, boil to reduce if you think it needs it.
• Stir in the reserved juice to refresh the citrus flavour.
• Serve one lamb shank on each warmed plate with a generous amount of sauce spooned over.
• Sprinkle each shank with a little parsley and a pinch of the reserved zest.

LAMB SHANKS BRAISED WITH ANISE AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Finely grind star anise in spice grinder or in mortar with pestle. Rub half of ground star anise over lamb shanks. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot; brown on all sides, about 12 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot; add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add all stock, orange juice, peel and remaining star anise. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Transfer lamb to large bowl. Cover with foil. Working in batches, transfer cooking liquid and vegetables to processor; puree until smooth. Return liquid to pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to 6 cups, about 20 minutes. Mix in honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over lamb and serve.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH GLAZED LEMON AND ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large, heavy casserole, heat the oil until almost smoking over medium-high heat.
• Add the lamb shanks and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. If you cannot fit the shanks without crowding, just do 2 at a time.
• Stir in the onion, adjust the heat down to medium, and cook until the onion is wilted and pale, about 4-5 minutes.
• Blend in the lemon and orange slices, tomatoes, stock, wine, honey, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, stir to combine the ingredients, cover the casserole and transfer to the preheated oven.
• Bake the lamb shanks until they are very tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• Remove the cover and skim off the fat, return the pot to the oven, partially covered, for another 15 minutes, turning the shanks a couple of times during this time.
• Serve over cooked pasta or bulgur.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS IN ORANGE-MERLOT SAUCE (PASSOVER)

Steps:

• Combine the basil, oregano, rosemary, orange juice, orange zest, Merlot and garlic and pour over the rinsed lamb shanks in a wide glass dish (shanks should be in a single layer).
• Turn the shanks to coat and cover.
• Marinate 2 hours at room temperature, turning the meat every half hour or marinate in the refrigerator, turning meat occasionally.
• Remove the shanks from the marinade and dry them with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the lamb with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat for 20 seconds. Add the olive oil and heat for 10 seconds then lower the heat to medium-high and add the lamb shanks.
• Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes until browned on all sides.
• Place shanks in a single layer in a casserole dish and pour the chicken stock into the hot pan.
• Scrape up any meat particles, add them to the reserved marinade and pour over the shanks in the casserole and cover with a lid (use foil if no lid).
• Put casserole in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. (The hot oven will sear the meat initially, but the mixture needs to cook at a lower temperature or the meat will toughen.).
• Roast for 45 minutes then baste and cook for another 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
• If the liquid has reduced greatly, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
• Remove the shanks to a serving platter and keep warm.
• If the gravy is too watery, boil the liquid down 5-10 minutes, or until it is the consistency of tomato sauce.
• Drizzle some of the sauce over the shanks and serve.