Ingredients:

  • 4 large grass-fed lamb shanks (approx. 400g each)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and small-diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Syrah)
  • 2 cups beef bone broth
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions:

  1. Pat the lamb shanks completely dry with paper towels to ensure a proper sear. Season aggressively on all sides with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
  2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
  3. Brown the shanks in batches, searing until they develop a deep, mahogany-colored crust on all sides. Remove shanks and transfer to the slow cooker.
  4. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion, carrots, and celery until softened. Add the smashed garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes until the paste darkens.
  5. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the browned bits (fond) from the bottom. Pour the mixture over the shanks in the slow cooker.
  6. Add the beef bone broth, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours (or High for 6 hours) until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
  7. Carefully remove the shanks and keep warm. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan, discarding the solids.
  8. Simmer the liquid and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Once thickened, whisk in the cold unsalted butter to create a glossy, velvet-textured gravy. Serve over the shanks.