If there was such a thing as “value for effort”, this dish would score 100 out of 10! Honestly, this recipe is the easiest way to cook lamb shanks and next to impossible to mess up. All you need is a large heavy-bottom casserole and a handful of ingredients. The shanks are braising for hours in a flavourful liquid with minimal supervision. In the end, the meat literally slides off the bones and the sauce turns into a thick, glossy, sticky glaze. The braising liquid typically consists of stock, an acidic element such as vinegar or wine, and different flavourings. While there are lots to choose from, this recipe is my personal favourite so let’s start here!

The Flavour Affair:

Lamb Shanks + Chicken Stock + Red Vinegar + Pomegranate + Mint + Garlic + Thyme + Salt

It really is amazing how you can get so much flavour with so few ingredients. The key is to include all major taste components – sweet, sour, salty, spicy, savory and fatty, which is exactly what we are doing here!

Lamb Shanks: I always vote for bone-in shanks. The connective tissues and gelatin from the bones melt during slow cooking, making the meat incredibly tender and improving its flavour. It is very, very hard to end up with a dry piece of meat on a bone.

Chicken Stock: I use a little bit to deglaze the pan after searing the shanks.

Red Vinegar: sharp and acidic, vinegar is great for balancing the fatty element of a rich sauce like this one. I like red wine vinegar because of its robust taste with noticeable fruity notes – I actually feel like it contributes to the overall flavour.

Pomegranate: I love pairing lamb with pomegranate! This sweet and sour fruit creates an amazing contrast to savory lamb dishes. It also lightens them up, creating a brighter feel that’s perfect for summer dining. Here, I am using three types of pomegranate: sweet freshly squeezed juice and tart molasses for the braising liquid, and pomegranate jewels for garnish. They add an extra juicy burst and make the plate look sooooo pretty 😀

Mint: fresh mint brings in more of that summer freshness, it also goes extremely well with both lamb and pomegranate.

Garlic: adds the savory element to the sauce, deepens the flavour and enhances the aroma.

Thyme: earthy and herbaceous with very subtle bitterness, you can use it to add a bit more complexity to the sauce.

Salt: the last taste element in its simplest form. Either regular table salt or rock salt are just fine.

Preparation tips for Lamb Shanks in Pomegranate Sauce:

Another reason why this recipe is absolutely fabulous is that you literally need only 15 minutes of hands on time to prepare it! The shanks don’t even require marinating, and there is no chopping or cutting to do. The mess is kept to the minimum because we are using just one casserole plus a plate to transfer them onto after searing. Every home cook’s dream! So just a couple of things:

• Sear the shanks first over high heat from all sides. The main purpose of this step in this particular recipe is not to keep the juices from escaping. It is because during searing, small pieces of fat and meat will stick to the casserole and brown. Once you deglaze the casserole with chicken stock, those bits will add a lot of flavour to the braising liquid.
• Therefore… do not skip the deglazing step! Remove the shanks after they have browned, pour in 1/2 cups of stock and use a spatula to scrape off all the brown bits and bobs from the sides and the bottom. Stir well to incorporate and allow the stock to bubble for a few minutes to reduce slightly.
• Then add everything else in no particular order: pour in the juice and vinegar, add pomegranate molasses, pop in bruised garlic cloves, fresh mint and thyme. Season with salt and return the shanks to the casserole. They should be sitting comfortably in the liquid covered to about 1/3:

• Bring to simmer, then cover and lower the heat to the absolute minimum – just enough for the shanks to bubble very gently. If you are not sure, check the casserole after about five minutes and adjust the heat.
• Cook on stove top with lid on for about 2 hours 45 minutes. You can peek a couple of times in between to make sure there’s still enough liquid. But if you left it simmering very gently, in about that time the liquid will have reduced to a glaze and the meat will be falling off the bones.
• In case the meat is completely done but the sauce hasn’t thickened yet, remove the lid and turn the heat up. Allow the liquid to bubble fiercely until reduced, but watch it so that it doesn’t get burnt.

Once the glaze is ready, try pulling a bone (careful though: it will be hot!). You’ll be amazed how easily it comes out! That’s it – no carving or any other prepping, the meat will fall apart on its own as you pick it up. Maybe keep a bone or two in for decorative purposes, otherwise just arrange the shanks on a serving plate and brush over with some more glaze.

Serving Suggestions:

If you have time, make quick marinated onions for a bit more sharpness and a crunchy finish. Simply mix together 1 tbsp red vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp pomegranate molasses, some chopped mint and salt. Slice the onions, add to the bowl with the marinade and leave for 15-20 minutes. You can use them to garnish the lamb or add to a tomato salad, or both!

Tomatoes in general are excellent with this kind of lamb. To further wow your guests, you can make this Tomato Carpaccio. Or try my Purslane and Beet Greens Salad with pomegranate and feta – it works great here, too!

If you want something a bit more substantial, boil some white rice and add half a cup of braising liquid to make it more flavourful. You can then garnish the rice with chopped herbs, dry barberries, pomegranate jewels and pistachios. Delicious and so very pretty!

Lastly, the leftovers (if there are any – typically it all gets wiped off in minutes!) can go into a sandwich for lunchbox the day after. Just add some salad leaves, fresh tomatoes and onions!

I hope you give this recipe a go, it really is such an amazing meal to finish your day. Let me know in comments if you’ve made it and what you think!

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