Mediterranean Lamb Shanks

Lamb shanks would have to be one of those quintessential winter dishes. With a long slow cook and a hearty sauce they are a true wonder. To me they just embody the comfort of food on a cold winters evening.

I started cooking lamb shanks when living in the Hunter Valley. The winters were cold, the food budget was lean and I found myself craving serious comfort food to warm the soul. Lamb shanks seemed like a good dish to try cooking and I haven’t looked back. This version was first cooked in my tiny rental kitchen way back then and is still a firm favourite. Yes it’s had a few tweaks over the years but the fundamentals remain the same. Big bold flavours of red wine, tomato and olives and the delight of the shanks cooked long and slow.  My husband loves them – he requests them every winter and they usually makes more than one appearance.

I always make a bigger batch of shanks than I need as well, generally cooking at least two extras. What meat doesn’t get eaten gets stripped off the bone and frozen with any leftover sauce. The leftovers make an amazing filling for a lamb shank pie which is the ultimate in decadence, especially when loaded with fetta for an additional flavour boost. Or else it make a wonderful pasta sauce when you want something from the freezer but can’t face another bowl of spaghetti bolognaise!

Best served with my mash, this is one winter dish you really should try.