Ingredient

Lamb shank

A lamb shank is the lower part of the leg, a hard-working muscle wrapped around a single bone and threaded with connective tissue. It is the cut that best rewards a long braise, and it has the advantage of being an obvious single portion.

Why the shape helps

A shank is essentially a cone of muscle around a bone. As it cooks, connective tissue converts to gelatine and the meat pulls back from the bone, which gives a clear visual signal of doneness that most braising cuts do not.

The bone also contributes marrow and further gelatine to the sauce, so a shank braise thickens itself in a way a boneless stew does not.

The practical point is that shanks are self-portioning. One per person, roughly, and a large pan holds four or six without any judgement about how to divide them.

Fore and hind

Hind shank

From the back leg. Larger, meatier, more even. The one usually sold and the one to choose if you can.

Fore shank

From the front leg. Smaller, more sinew, slightly more flavour. Cheaper and equally good after long cooking.

Size

Varies a great deal. A large hind shank feeds one generously; a small fore shank may not.

French trimmed

The bone end scraped clean for presentation. Purely cosmetic and often costs more.

Fat

Trim heavy external fat but leave the membrane and sinew — those become the sauce.

A shank braise

1. Season the shanks well and brown them hard all over. They are awkwardly shaped, so turn them repeatedly and be patient.
2. Set aside and cook onion, carrot, celery and garlic slowly in the same pan.
3. Add tomato purée, cook it out, then deglaze with red wine and reduce.
4. Return the shanks with stock to come about two thirds of the way up, plus rosemary, bay and a strip of lemon peel.
5. Cover and cook at a low oven temperature for two and a half to three hours, turning them once halfway.
6. They are ready when the meat has pulled back from the bone and gives entirely to a fork.
7. Lift the shanks out, strain the liquid, skim the fat and reduce hard until it coats a spoon. Return the shanks to warm through.

Ways to flavour them

• Red wine, rosemary and garlic, the default and hard to better.
• Ras el hanout, chickpeas and preserved lemon, a North African approach.
• Tomato, oregano and cinnamon, the Greek style, served with orzo.
• Cumin, coriander and dried apricot, in a tagine.
• Anchovy and rosemary, which sounds odd with lamb and is a classic Italian pairing — the anchovy dissolves and reads as depth.
• Flageolet or butter beans in the pot, which absorb the sauce and make it a whole dish.
• Beer and prunes, in the Flemish manner.

Common questions