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Savor the rich flavors of our Lamb Shank with Balsamic Vinegar, a feast for the entire family.
A meat shank or shin is the portion of meat around the tibia of the animal, the leg bone beneath the knee and shoulder.
Lamb shanks with balsamic vinegar is a dish that beautifully marries the robust flavors of lamb with the complex, slightly sweet acidity of balsamic vinegar. The lamb shank, which is the lower part of the animal’s leg, is a cut known for its rich flavor and tenderness when slow-cooked. This dish has its roots in Mediterranean cuisine, particularly in Italian and Middle Eastern culinary traditions, where slow-cooking tougher cuts of meat with an array of herbs, spices, and acidic ingredients is a time-honored practice. Balsamic vinegar, a product of Modena in Italy, is made from the reduction of grape must and aged for several years in wooden barrels, imparting a deep, nuanced flavor profile that enhances the richness of the lamb.
Historically, balsamic vinegar dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was initially used as a medicinal tonic and a culinary condiment by Italian nobility. Its unique production process and aging methods have made it a prized ingredient in Italian cooking. The combination of lamb and balsamic vinegar likely emerged from the necessity to tenderize and flavor the lamb shank, a cut that benefits from long, slow cooking methods. The result is a dish that is both rustic and sophisticated, with the balsamic vinegar cutting through the richness of the lamb and creating a harmonious balance of flavors. This dish has since become a favorite in gourmet circles, celebrated for its depth of flavor and the way it showcases the culinary heritage of its Mediterranean origins
Lamb Shank with Balsamic Vinegar
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2–3 servings depending on size 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Moderate
Description
From our kitchen to your table: Lamb Shank + Balsamic Vinegar magic
Ingredients
- 2 lamb shanks
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 2 sticks celery, sliced
- 5ml dried mint
- 5ml dried rosemary
- 1/2 a head of garlic
- 30ml balsamic vinegar
- 20ml honey
- 30ml black currant jam
- 1 cube vegetable stock dissolved in a liter of boiling water
- 340ml dark beer
- Optional: 2-3 medium carrots, scraped and cut into 2-3cm lengths
- Suggested accompaniments: mashed potato and a green vegetable such as broccoli or green beans. For additional color perhaps add cooked red bell pepper to the green vegetables (i.e., bottled bell pepper)
Instructions
- Brown meat in oil in a casserole pot.
- Remove and set aside
- Gently fry the onion, celery and carrot for 15 minutes
- Return the meat to the casserole and add all the other ingredients.
- Simmer covered on stove for 2.5 hours
- Remove meat and keep warm under foil
- Strain out the vegetables and garlic from the cooking liquid and throw away
- Reduce cooking liquid by half (Optional: in this time, you could add fresh vegetables – e.g. carrot- and cook this in the liquid for 20 minutes)
- Taste the cooking liquid and decide whether to either reduce further or to then already thicken with Cornflour (Maizena – corn starch). You should end up with a concentrated sweet flavorful sauce
- Adjust seasoning, sweetness and/or acidity as needed
- Return the meat and warm through
- Serve meat on a bed of mashed potato, draped with the sauce
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Created, Prepared, tried, and tested by Charl from SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 2114
- Sugar: 25.1 g
- Sodium: 681 mg
- Fat: 19.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 153.2 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 110.1 g
- Cholesterol: 290.3 mg
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That looks like the perfect meal for the cold nights we have in Australia at the moment.
Thanks for popping over and yes it will be awesome for your cold evenings. I am saving it for our winter time, as we have scorchers at the moment but love lamb shank. Enjoy