In Iceland, lamb shanks are called lambaskankar, and they have become one of the country's favourite ways to turn an inexpensive cut into a proper feast. You will find them on restaurant menus in Reykjavík and in home kitchens on cold autumn weekends.
The idea is simple. Brown the shanks, tuck them into a heavy pot with vegetables, red wine and stock, and leave them in a low oven until the meat is ready to slide off the bone.
This guide walks through a reliable recipe for braised lamb shanks, explains why the slow method matters, and shows how Icelanders like to serve them.
What lambaskankar are
The shank is the lower part of the lamb's leg, between the knee and the ankle. Each one is a compact, bony piece wrapped in hard-working muscle, and a single shank usually makes one generous portion.
Icelandic cooks have plenty of practice with it. Lambaskankar recipes appear regularly in Icelandic newspapers and food columns, from simple weeknight versions to chef-led recipes that cook the meat overnight.
Most of them share the same backbone: red wine, onions, carrots, celery, herbs such as rosemary and thyme, and a long, gentle cook with the lid on.
Why shanks need a slow braise
Shank meat is full of connective tissue. Cook it fast, the way you would a chop, and it stays tough and chewy no matter how good the lamb is.
Given time in moist heat, that connective tissue slowly melts into gelatin. The meat turns soft and juicy, and the cooking liquid picks up a silky body that makes an excellent sauce.
That is why braising is the natural choice. The shanks sit partly submerged in liquid in a covered pot, so they cook gently and evenly without drying out.
Ingredients for braised lamb shanks
This version serves four and follows the method used in many Icelandic home recipes. Plan on one shank per person.
- 4 lamb shanks, about 350 to 450 g (12 to 16 oz) each
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 5 dl (about 2 cups) dry red wine
- 5 to 7 dl (2 to 3 cups) lamb or beef stock
- 2 to 3 sprigs rosemary, a few sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp cold butter, to finish the sauce (optional)
Choose a wine you would happily drink, nothing sweet or heavily oaked. A dry, medium-bodied red works well, and some Icelandic cooks use alcohol-free red wine instead.
How to braise lamb shanks in a Dutch oven
A heavy, lidded pot that can go from the stove to the oven makes this dish easy. A cast-iron Dutch oven is ideal, which is why a Dutch oven lamb shank recipe is the version most cooks start with.
Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the shanks dry with paper towels and season them well with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on all sides, in two batches if needed, until they have a deep golden crust. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Lift them onto a plate.
Pour off most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften and start to colour.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or two. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot, then let it bubble until reduced by about half.
Return the shanks to the pot and add the herbs and enough stock to come about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring it to a simmer, put the lid on and move the pot to the oven.
Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the shanks once halfway through. They are ready when the meat pulls away from the bone with very little pressure from a fork.
The best way to cook a lamb shank: low and slow
Ask a handful of cooks for the best way to cook a lamb shank and you will hear different temperatures, but the principle never changes. Lower heat for longer gives the most tender result.
Around 160°C (325°F) for about three hours is a dependable middle ground. One Icelandic recipe in the regional paper Bæjarins Besta goes lower and slower, at 150°C for four hours with the lid on.
Restaurant kitchens sometimes take it much further. A recipe from Sigurður Ágústsson, then head chef at Silfra, published in Morgunblaðið's food section, cooks the shanks in red wine and water at 80°C for 12 hours.
Whatever temperature you pick, keep the pot covered and check the liquid once or twice. If it has dropped a lot, top it up with a splash of stock or hot water.
Braised lamb shank in the oven without a Dutch oven
No Dutch oven? Brown the shanks and vegetables in a large frying pan, then move everything into a deep roasting dish or casserole that fits the shanks snugly.
Deglaze the frying pan with the wine so none of the flavour is left behind, and pour it over the meat with the stock and herbs. Cover the dish tightly with a double layer of foil, crimping the edges so steam cannot escape.
Cook at the same temperature and for the same time. A loose cover lets the liquid evaporate, so check halfway through and add more stock if the shanks are starting to stick out.
Finishing the red wine sauce
When the shanks are tender, lift them out carefully. Well-braised shanks are fragile, and the meat can fall off the bone if you grab them too firmly.
Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, pressing on the vegetables, and skim off the fat that rises to the top. Simmer it for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly and tastes rich, then season with salt and pepper.
For a glossy, restaurant-style braised lamb shank in red wine sauce, take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time. If you prefer a thicker gravy, stir in a little flour mixed with cold water and simmer for a few minutes.
What Icelanders serve with lamb shanks
The most common partner is plain, buttery kartöflumús, mashed potatoes, which soak up the sauce. A fresh green salad and a spoonful of jam are the usual finishing touches.
Jam with lamb is a long-standing Icelandic habit. Rhubarb jam or redcurrant jelly brings the same sweet-sour lift it gives to the classic Icelandic Sunday leg of lamb.
For something more traditional than mash, try a bowl of rófustappa, Icelandic mashed rutabaga. Its gentle sweetness works beautifully with the deep red wine sauce.
Roasted root vegetables, green beans or a few boiled new potatoes also suit the dish. Keep the sides simple, because the shanks and their sauce are the stars.
Making braised lamb shanks ahead
Braised lamb shanks are a good make-ahead meal, and many cooks think they taste even better the next day. Let them cool in the sauce, then refrigerate.
Overnight chilling has a bonus: the fat sets in a layer on top of the sauce and lifts off easily. Reheat the shanks gently in the sauce over medium-low heat or in a 150°C (300°F) oven until piping hot.
Leftovers keep for about three days in a covered container in the fridge. Any meat left on the bones can be shredded into the sauce and served over potatoes or pasta.
Shanks feel especially right in autumn, when Iceland's new-season lamb arrives after the réttir sheep round-up. A pot of them in the oven is one of the nicest ways to welcome the darker evenings.
Cover photo: "Lamb shank for dinner in Reykjavik" by Ypsilon from Finland, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Sigrún Ólafsdóttir
Sigrún grew up baking rúgbrauð with her grandmother in Akureyri and has spent the last decade collecting recipes from kitchens all over Iceland. She writes Icelandic MAT's recipes, one dish at a time.