Lamb Shanks with White Beans and Squash

Lamb shanks, browned then braised in wine, make a lusciously hearty meal served with white beans and roasted squash. This is comfort food worth lingering over!

a tender braised lamb shank served in a shallow bowl over squash and white beans.

Discovering Lamb Shanks

In the realm of comfort food I have found a new love! Though late in coming, I am delighted by the discovery. While I know the foods that are close to our heart often work their magic through an association with fond childhood memories, this time it hasn’t worked out that way.

I didn’t eat lamb shanks when I was growing up. They were never served at home. Out on my own, I seldom saw them at the market. Out at a restaurant, if they were on the menu, I chose something else. Then, one odd evening, when my husband and I were at a local restaurant for dinner, I abandoned all of my favorite entrees and felt compelled to try something new.  When I chose Lamb Shanks from the seasonal menu I discovered love at first bite. Tender, flavorful, hearty; I ate the whole dish and couldn’t wait to come back for more.

Cooking Lamb at Home

Though I savored my discovery, it was another long time before I cooked Lamb Shanks at home. Then one Friday afternoon, looking for something new at the meat counter of my local supermarket, I took the plunge. I picked out several lamb shanks, crossed my fingers and hoped to come up with something at least half as delicious at home.

a hearty lamb shank braised in wine with squash and white beans, served in a shallow bowl

After a bit of searching, I settled on a recipe for Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash from SimplyRecipes.com. It had a long list of ingredients and quite a few steps to the directions but it looked perfect for a weekend dinner at home. I collected everything I needed and got to work.

Slowly Braised Lamb Shanks, Worth the Wait

Though there were a lot of steps to the recipe, none of the steps were really difficult and few required precision. The prep went well and before long I was tucking my lamb shanks into the oven. Even better, the result was worth it. My husband said that dinner might be the best he had ever eaten!

While that is a nice compliment under any circumstances you may not understand how nice unless you know my husband is no foodie and hardly takes any special enjoyment in food that lacks nostalgic connotations. He generally eats quickly and as needed. I never know what to make for him on a special occasion. So, when he said this might be the best meal he had ever eaten, I almost fell over ….but then, I couldn’t disagree.  It really was delicious!

Lamb Shanks with White Beans and Squash

Course: Main DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

40

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes
Total time

3

hours 

10

minutes

Lamb shanks, browned then braised in wine, make a lusciously hearty meal served with white beans and roasted squash. This is comfort food worth lingering over!

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons olive oil

  • 4 lamb shanks

  • salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

  • 4 carrots, coarsely chopped

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 cup tomato paste

  • 3 cups dry red wine

  • 6 cups chicken stock

  • 8 sprigs of thyme

  • 3 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

  • 1 1/3 cups cooked cannellini beans

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven until it shimmers. (I used my 5-quart Le Creuset oval French oven.) Pat lamb shanks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in batches. When browned remove the shanks to a plate.
  • Add garlic cloves along with the celery, carrots and onion to the casserole. Saute over medium heat until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the wine. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil until the mixture reduces and begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
  • Place the shanks back in the casserole and add the stock and sprigs of thyme. Return to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and place the casserole in the oven until the meat is very tender, 1½ to 2½ hours. Turn the shanks from time to time to cook evenly.
  • While the lamb shanks are cooking, toss the squash in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast on a rack positioned high in the same oven with the lamb shanks if desired, at 350 degrees, until tender, approximately 1 hour.
  • When very tender, remove the lamb shanks from the oven and transfer to a plate. Strain the remaining liquid from the pan pushing as much of the sauce through the strainer as possible, pressing the vegetables through with a wooden spoon. Discard the remains. Skim fat. Return the sauce to the casserole, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add back the lamb shanks and stir in the squash. Simmer until warmed through.
  • Add the beans, cover and remove from heat.
  • To serve:
    spoon the vegetables and sauce into large shallow serving soup bowls and set a lamb shank on top of each.
    Or, remove the meat and discard bone. Evenly distribute vegetables, sauce and meat in serving bowls.
    Enjoy!

Notes

5 Comments

  1. I. Love. Lamb. That's pretty much all there is to it 😉
    Cannot wait to try out this recipe, it looks fantastic!

  2. best meal ever, eh? that's high praise! i've never eaten lamb shanks–i have mental issues with it–but i think everything else about this concoction sounds magnificent!

  3. Lamb shanks really are fabulous aren't they? We love them too, and Oregon lamb is so incredibly delicious. I'll be trying this version PDQ. Thanks for the inspiration!

  4. This looks fantastic, Lisa. Lamb shanks are a favorite in my house and I know my family would love this.

  5. Schnitzel and the Trout

    Excellent, absolutely excellent recipe and it looks wonderful! Lamb shanks are a very favorite.

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