Persian Lamb Shanks
Recipe video above. A traditional Persian dish – fall apart lamb shanks with a well seasoned, delicately flavoured broth. Pair this with the iconic Persian Tachin (baked saffron rice), a Persian chopped salad and finish with a Persian Love Cake to complete your Persian feast!
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours 10minutes
Servings:4
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks , about 300g/10oz each (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 – 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1 large onion , sliced (yellow, brown)
- 6 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1 litre / 4 cups water
- 500 ml / 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium tomatoes , chopped
SPICES:
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp extra cinnamon , extra for later
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads (Note 2)
Instructions
-
Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper.
-
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Brown shanks all over, 2 at a time. Remove from pot.
-
Discard excess oil, clean pot if it’s very dirty.
-
Add 1 tbsp oil. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes until translucent.
-
Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, tomatoes, and salt.
-
Add chicken broth and stir well.
-
Place shanks in pot, then add water as needed so the shanks are 3/4 or fully covered, but no more than 1L/4 cups water. (Note 2)
-
If shanks not fully submerged, make a cartouche (baking paper lid, Note 3).
-
Bring up to the boil. Place the cartouche snugly on surface (if using), cover pot leaving a little crack (to ensure it doesn’t boil over).
-
Turn heat down so simmering very gently. Cook 1.5 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
-
Add cardamom and nutmeg into liquid.
-
Cook for another 1 hour until meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
-
Carefully remove meat from liquid into a bowl and cover with foil.
REDUCE BROTH:
-
Simmer broth rapidly 30 – 45 min until reduced by half.
-
Add saffron and remaining 1/8 tsp cinnamon.
-
Simmer further 10 – 15 min until reduced to 500 ml / 2 cups. Should taste like a very well seasoned, intensely savoury but lightly spiced broth.
FINISHING:
-
Return meat to pot to gently reheat for a few minutes, turning and basting the meat with the liquid to keep it moist.
-
Serve shanks with the braising liquid as a sauce. Pictured garnished with pomegranate seeds (leftover from salad, see Notes) or mint leaves, for visual only.