Lamb shanks have a rich, intense flavor that only gets better when you essentially cook them in their own bone broth: braising the shanks on the bone gets all the flavor of the marrow into your dinner, and it also helps the meat stay perfectly tender even though you’re cooking it for a while.
Nutritionally, lamb is also a great choice from a Paleo perspective: it's ruminant meat like beef, so the fat quality is high, and it's full of important nutrients, notably the antioxidant mineral selenium.
Lamb doesn’t need a lot of seasonings, but a little bit of cumin, oregano, and garlic do a lot to enhance the flavor, and a sprinkle of lemon juice brightens everything up a little.
And of course, never forget the garlic! It has all kinds of health benefits, but even if it had nothing at all to recommend it from a health perspective, it would still be worth eating for the taste alone.
This recipe works wonderfully for the company because lamb is something unusual enough to be a little bit special, but it’s simple enough that it won’t stress you out or make you miss spending time with your guests.
Or just try it for an easy dinner with a salad and maybe some roasted root vegetables: it’s a hassle-free way to end the day with something hearty and nourishing.
Roasted Lamb Shanks Recipe
SERVES: 4 PREP: 15 min COOK: 2h 30 min
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 lamb shanks, rinsed and dried;
- 15 garlic cloves, peeled;
- 2 tsp. cumin powder;
- 2 tsp. onion powder;
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice;
- ½ cup olive oil + more for drizzling;
- 3 tsp. dried oregano;
- 1 cup water;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 450 F.
- Spread the garlic cloves all over the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Place the lamb shanks on top of the garlic, and drizzle some olive oil over them.
- Coat the lamb shanks with the cumin and the onion powder, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast, uncovered, for about 35 minutes.
- Remove the lamb shanks from the oven, and lower the heat to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, and water. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the olive oil and lemon mixture all over the lamb shanks.
- Cover the roasting pan with foil, and roast in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
- The lamb shanks are ready once the meat is falling off the bone.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Lamb Shanks Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 lamb shanks rinsed and dried
- 15 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tsp. cumin powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil + more for drizzling
- 3 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 F.
- Spread the garlic cloves all over the bottom of a roasting pan.15 garlic cloves
- Place the lamb shanks on top of the garlic, and drizzle some olive oil over them.5 to 6 lamb shanks, ½ cup olive oil + more for drizzling
- Coat the lamb shanks with the cumin, and the onion powder, and season with salt and pepper to taste.2 tsp. cumin powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast, uncovered, for about 35 minutes.
- Remove the lamb shanks from the oven, and lower the heat to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, and water. Stir until well combined.½ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tsp. dried oregano, 1 cup water
- Pour the olive oil and lemon mixture all over the lamb shanks.
- Cover the roasting pan with foil, and roast in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
- The lamb shanks are ready once the meat is falling off the bone.
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