Instant Pot Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine Jus
Servings: 2 -4 servings
These Instant Pot Braised Lamb Shanks with a Red Wine Jus cook in under a few hours and are so easy to make. The meat is so tender, it falls right off the bone and is paired with a rich red wine jus - this recipe is worthy of a five-star restaurant.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 - 4 lamb shanks 1 - 1.5 lbs each, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 large yellow onion chopped (2 cups)
- 2 carrots chopped (1 cup)
- 2 celery chopped (1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups full-bodied red wine cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, or merlot
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Braising Lamb Shanks
- Trim the excess fat on the lamb shanks. See notes for tips.
- Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE on medium or high heat (I prefer high). Add the olive oil. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, and add two at a time. You do not want to overcrowd the pot. Sear the lamb shanks on all sides for 3 - 5 minutes until it's browned. The darker (but not burnt), the better for a rich, deep-flavored sauce. Then transfer the seared lamb shanks to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the lamb shanks are brown on all sides.
- Add the chopped vegetables and garlic cloves with a pinch of salt to the Instant Pot. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until the vegetables are fully coated.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pot. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the wine reduces in half.
- Add the beef stock and herbs. Then place the seared lamb shanks back into the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid and make sure the vent is set to SEALING. Select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH and set the cooking time to 60 minutes.
- When the cooking process is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then use the quick release to finish the remaining pressure.
- Making Red Wine Jus
- Carefully remove the lamb shanks and place them on a plate. Cover the lamb shanks in the foil to stay warm and set aside.
- Strain the sauce into a bowl, extracting all the juice (flavor) from the veggies. Then put the strained sauce back into the pot.
- In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together until smooth.
- Turn the Instant Pot back on SAUTE high heat. Once the sauce starts to simmer, add the cornstarch slurry. Whisk the sauce and continue to simmer until you have reached a desired consistency, usually when the sauce can coat the back of a spoon, about 5 - 10 minutes.
- Add the butter and whisk until the sauce is silky, shiny, and smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve the lamb shanks on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and pour the red wine jus over the lamb shanks. Enjoy!
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Notes
How to trim excess fat - Use a small, sharp knife to remove any large fatty deposits and the silverskin (the white membrane on the outside of the meat). Take the knife and slide the tip under the silverskin. This will create a "tab." Hold that piece tight with one hand while using the other to cut the membrane away from your body. It does not need to be perfect. You only want to take away the whitest/thickest parts.
Cooking with red wine, can you substitute it? Most of the alcohol in the red wine will evaporate when you reduce it in half and finish evaporating during the pressure cooking. The fruit and tannins of the red wine will be the flavor of the sauce, and will not taste alcoholic at all.
That said, you can substitute the red wine with more beef stock or non-alcoholic red wine. I recommend replacing it with a dry non-alcoholic red wine because it will bring a depth of flavor and richness to the sauce. Whereas the beef stock will be less decadent and can make the sauce salty.
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