This dish, Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks, is really tasty and satisfies all cravings. Shanks of lamb so tender they break apart and are cooked in a rich, flavorful sauce scented with pomegranate until they are completely cooked through. You will adore this meal, which is full of taste and worthy of a restaurant! Serve your preferred sides with these tender lamb shanks for a satisfying supper that the whole family will love!
One of my all-time favorite foods has to be braised meats. They are really quite simple to make, bursting with flavor from the slower cooking method, and SO unbelievably wonderful. The many taste combinations that come with braising is the other thing I adore. I like my braises with nice red wine, stock or broth, and different combinations. These lamb shanks with pomegranate braising, for instancecomplete excellence, everyone!
Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks
I am so in love with this dish right now. We’ve got luscious, soft lamb simmered in a delectable sauce enhanced with pomegranate; it’s also packed with a ton of flavorful spices and aromatics. The lamb shanks become soft and pull away from the bone as the meat cooks in its own juices. This is the dish for you if you enjoy flavorful, gourmet dinners and lamb.
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
- Shanks of lamb: The highlight of this recipe! Shanks of lamb are perfect for stews and braises. This meat cut is more robust and requires a slower cooking time to produce a tender, juicy texture. Shanks are also quite economical!
- Vegetable oil: To brown the shanks of lamb before braising.
- Shallots: Bring a lovely, subtle sweetness to the dish.
- Carrots: A traditional fragrant component and some fresh vegetables, check!
- Garlic: For added flavor, there must be a plenty of garlic available.
- A small amount of flour will help the braising liquid thicken.
- Brown sugar: Enhances taste depth and contrast.
- Spices: For the most flavorful, well-rounded dish, seasonings are essential.This recipe gets its flavor from smoked paprika, curry powder, ground cumin, ground allspice, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and salt & pepper.
- Balsamic vinegar: I adore the way this dish uses balsamic vinegar. Because of the vinegar, it tenderizes the meat and provides a slight sweetness. These braised lamb shanks have a lovely burst of flavor.
- Pomegranate juice: I use Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice, which makes up half of our braising liquid. 100% pomegranate juice’s acidic acidity is really pleasant and complements the other flavors nicely.
- The remaining half of the braising liquid, or beef stock or broth, for balance.
- Rosemary: Edible plants such as rosemary offer a pleasant burst of freshness.
- Pomegranate arils: As a garnish, they add a beautiful finishing touch!
Braising produces an unrivaled degree of delectable enchantment as the meat’s connective fibers soften and break down while absorbing the flavors from the pot. Because they simmer more slowly, these pomegranate braised lamb shanks do require many hours, but they are well worth the wait.
How To Make Braised Lamb Shanks
- Season and set aside the meat: Dredge the lamb shanks in a generous amount of salt and pepper. Give the lamb shanks at least 20 minutes to come to room temperature. Then, set the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Warm up the oil in a large Dutch oven before browning the lamb shanks. Working in batches, add a couple lamb shanks to the saucepan after it’s heated. The shanks should be seared until a deep brown crust forms on both sides. Once all of the shanks are done, transfer the browned ones to a fresh platter and continue. Next, remove the browned shanks from the pan and lower the heat.
- Add the shallots and carrots to the saucepan and sauté the aromatics. Add salt and pepper to taste after sautéing the mixture. Sauté the food until it turns golden brown. After that, add the garlic and heat it until fragrant.
- Combining the flavors: To coat, stir the mixture after adding the flour and stirring. Stir to thoroughly mix in the brown sugar, curry powder, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Next, deglaze the saucepan with the balsamic vinegar and scrape off any caramelized pieces from the bottom of the pot with a wooden tool.
- Put the browned lamb shanks back into the saucepan and assemble the braise. Stir in the beef stock or broth and pomegranate juice. Add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs to the saucepan and swirl to mix. After turning up the heat to a boil, take the saucepan off the burner.
- To braise the lamb shanks, place a cover on the saucepan and put it in the oven. Leave the lamb shanks covered to braise for three hours. After 30 minutes of braising, take off the top and continue cooking the shanks until the flesh pulls away from the bone, making them very soft.
- If necessary, adjust the braising liquid: Take out the bay leaves, herb stems, and cooked lamb shanks from the saucepan. Place the saucepan over heat on the stovetop to thicken the braising liquid. Cook for a little while, stirring gently, until the liquid decreases and becomes more syrup-like, coating the back of a spoon. After that, taste and add extra salt or pepper to suit.
- Quickly serve these lamb shanks with pomegranate braising. My favorite way to serve these shanks is with additional braising gravy poured over the top of the creamy mashed potatoes. Add pomegranate arils as a garnish and relish life!
Alternative Cooking Methods For Your Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks
- Easy braise on a stovetop: Proceed as directed in the recipe card found below. Simply leave the saucepan on medium-low or low heat when you get to step #5 (after simmering). After letting the lamb shanks braise on the burner for 3 1/2 hours with a lid on, move on to steps 7-8 of the recipe.
- Slow cooker/crockpot braising: Use the same directions (steps 1–5) as listed in the recipe card below for this approach. After that, gently pour everything into the slow cooker pot and stir occasionally. Cook for seven to eight hours on low or four to five hours on high. *Note: You may brown the shanks and sauté the aromatics in your slow cooker (steps 2-3) if it has a browning/sear feature.
- Pressure cooker/Instant Pot: To season and rest the shanks, use the same directions as listed on the recipe card. Activate the sauté feature on the IP. After it’s heated, add the oil and sear the shanks, cooking them two at a time, until they become brown all over. After that, put it aside and carry on with the recipe card’s steps 3-5. After sealing the lid and turning on the manual high pressure feature for 60 minutes, close the IP. Once the food is cooked, open the top and let the natural pressure to dissipate for ten minutes. <> Remove shanks and save so that braising liquid may be adjusted. Return the IP to the sauté setting and boil the sauce until the desired consistency is reached.
Why This Lamb Shanks Recipe Works
- restaurant-caliber…This handmade dish is very simple and quick to make, yet it has a sophisticated restaurant feel to it! You know, it’s a dish that might be offered on the menu in a posh restaurant, yasss.
- Lots of flavor…You will love the immense depth of flavor that this dish offers, I’m sure of it. Lamb shanks that are rich, tender, and drenched in a savory sauce 🤤—this is not dull at all!
- special-occasion cuisineMake this dish on a chilly Sunday night or reserve it for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or date nights. It’s also a real show-stopper for dinners themed around holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and many more!
More Recipes You Might Like
- Brown Butter Steak
- Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
- Cider Braised Pot Roast
- Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Sausage Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks
This dish, Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks, is really tasty and satisfies all cravings. Shanks of lamb so tender they break apart and are cooked in a rich, flavorful sauce scented with pomegranate until they are completely cooked through. You will adore this meal, which is full of taste and worthy of a restaurant! Serve your preferred sides with these tender lamb shanks for a satisfying supper that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 4 –5 lamb shanks excess skin trimmed as needed
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more as needed
- 3 shallots cut into wedges
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
- 3 –4 rosemary sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- pomegranate arils for garnish– optional
Instructions
- Season and rest the lamb by using paper towels to pat the shanks dry. Season the lamb shanks on all sides with a sufficient amount of salt and pepper and place them on a big plate or baking sheet. Give the lamb shanks at least 20 minutes to sit and thaw at room temperature. Then, set the oven temperature to 325°F.
- To brown the lamb shanks, preheat the oil in a deep braiser or a large Dutch oven (at least five quarts in size and oven-safe) over medium-high heat. To uniformly coat the bottom, gently swirl the pot once the oil begins to shimmer. Working in batches and taking care not to overcrowd, add a couple lamb shanks to the pot. The shanks should be seared for two to three minutes on each side, or until a deep brown crust forms. Once all of the shanks are done, transfer them to a clean plate or small baking sheet and continue cooking until the remaining shanks are browned. After that, remove the browned shanks and turn down the heat to medium.
- Add the shallots and carrots to the saucepan and sauté the aromatics. The mixture should be sautéed, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. For around 4–5 minutes, or until the food is soft and golden brown, keep sautéing. After that, add the garlic and simmer for an additional one to two minutes, or until fragrant. When sautéing, if the mixture seems dry, add a little extra oil to the pot, but only as much as is needed.
- Combining the flavors: To coat, stir the mixture after adding the flour and stirring. Cook for one to two minutes, or until the flour disappears and starts to get a light brown color. Stir to thoroughly mix in the brown sugar, curry powder, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Give the spices a good minute or two to toast. Next, deglaze the saucepan with the balsamic vinegar and scrape off any caramelized pieces from the bottom of the pot with a wooden tool.
- Put together the braise: Pour back the remaining fluids that have gathered into the saucepan together with the browned lamb shanks. Add the beef stock or broth and pomegranate juice; the shanks should be nearly fully covered by the liquid. Add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs to the saucepan and whisk everything together gently. After raising the heat to medium-high and boiling the pot for around five minutes, remove from the burner.
- To braise the lamb shanks, place a cover on the saucepan and put it in the oven. Leave the lamb shanks covered to braise for three hours. After 30 minutes of braising, take off the lid, baste the shanks with the braising liquid, and continue cooking until the flesh pulls away from the bone and the shanks are extremely soft.
- If necessary, adjust the braising liquid: Remove the saucepan from the oven with caution. Take out the bay leaves, herb stems, and cooked lamb shanks from the saucepan. When necessary, skim any fat from the liquid's surface. Place the saucepan on the burner over medium-high heat to thicken the braising liquid. Cook for a little while, stirring gently, until the liquid decreases and becomes more syrup-like, coating the back of a spoon.As an alternative, you can thicken by simmering a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon water). After that, taste and add extra salt or pepper to suit.
- Serve these lamb shanks with pomegranate braising sauce right away. Serving these shanks in shallow bowls with creamy mashed potatoes and spoonfuls of the braising sauce poured over everything is my favorite way to serve them. If desired, garnish the completed dish with pomegranate arils. Have fun!
Notes
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.