Lamb Shanks in Red Wine With Prunes

By Florence Fabricant

Published January 20, 2009

Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Rating
5(79)
Comments
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Earthy. Plummy. Balanced with acidity.These were my descriptions of the South African cabernet sauvignon wines we tasted. They reminded me of just how good cabernet can be when the winemaker does not aim for a skyscraper when 10 stories will do. I wanted to enjoy the wines with lamb, and hearty shanks braised with fruit and spice did the trick. The acid balance in many of the wines gracefully tamed the richness of the sauce. You should figure one shank a person, so try to buy smallish ones, about a pound each. And serve the dish with couscous.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 cup pitted prunes

  • 1 cup dry red wine

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 4 lamb shanks, about 1 pound each, fat well trimmed

  • 1 cup finely chopped onion

  • 8 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and slivered

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • Salt

  • freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 sprigs thyme

  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest

  • Cayenne to taste

  • Cooked couscous for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

55 grams carbs; 248 milligrams cholesterol; 1091 calories; 26 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 58 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1654 milligrams sodium; 75 grams protein; 20 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place prunes in a bowl, add wine and set aside. Heat oil in a 6-quart casserole or sauté pan. Add lamb and brown on all sides over medium heat. Remove. Stir in onion and garlic. Sauté on low until soft. Stir in bell pepper, cumin and paprika. Sauté a few minutes. Return lamb to pan, season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, prunes and wine. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    Turn shanks in pan and baste. Add zest and cayenne. Cover and cook on low about 45 minutes more, until lamb is tender when pierced with a fork. Check seasoning. Serve with couscous.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
79 user ratings
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Comments

Robert Carmack

A delicious recipe: I love Florence Fabrican't authenticity and gravitas -- so faking and melding flavours needlessly. You might need to add a bit more stock if it cooks too dry.

Carole

I also added beef broth when I turned the shanks over for their second side. At the step for adding the prunes, I also added two parsnips, cut in chunks. Great addition; lovely flavors!

MaineCook

I didn't have any red bell peppers, so I chopped up a carrot instead. I added extra red wine and also some chicken broth to increase the amount of sauce. After starting it on the stove in a Dutch oven, I covered the pot with aluminum foil, put the pot lid over that, and cooked the whole thing in a 375 F oven for about 1 3/4 hours. It was amazing.

Candace Page

As others have noted, this is delicious but definitely needs more liquid -- I used a mix of more red wine and a fair amount of chicken stock, because that's what I had on hand. I also doubled the cumin and smoked paprika, to good effect I think.

Herm

Two hours didn't make it fall off the bone tender for me. Didn't warrant the work, as opposed to doing a simple crockpot version.

MaineCook

I didn't have any red bell peppers, so I chopped up a carrot instead. I added extra red wine and also some chicken broth to increase the amount of sauce. After starting it on the stove in a Dutch oven, I covered the pot with aluminum foil, put the pot lid over that, and cooked the whole thing in a 375 F oven for about 1 3/4 hours. It was amazing.

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