• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chef Billy Parisi logo

  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Salads
        • Salad Dressings
      • Soups
      • Main Dish
      • Pasta
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Bread Recipes
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Lamb
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
    • Occasion
      • Grilling and BBQ
      • Holiday
      • Entertaining
  • Video
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
  • The Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Recipes » Ingredient » Lamb » Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

Posted on April 13, 2017 By Chef Billy Parisi

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Sink your teeth into this delicious and elegant Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto that is sure to be a family favorite!

Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

I have always said that lamb and duck are hands down my favorite proteins of all time, and because they are it of course means I don’t get to eat them too often.  My wife isn’t too adventurous when it comes to eating foods that are a little different from the norm, and she especially won’t eat lamb or duck.  However, when it’s holiday season I usually get to make just about whatever I want.  For instance, I made smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving, which is definitely a little different than the norm, and the whole family was totally ok with it!  In light of having some success with twisting things up for the holidays I figured I would whip up this Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto for the Easter holiday weekend.  Now I’m not sure if my wife will dig it, but I am 100% confident that she’ll at least eat the risotto, which is a meal in itself.

Braising lamb shanks is actually really easy, it just requires some time, but it’s way quicker than braising most other meats like brisket or pork butt.  Once you taste the rich flavor combos of the lamb and red wine beef broth it’s braising in, you’ll forget all about the fact that it took 3 hours to make it.  Once you taste all of that goodness with the risotto you won’t care about anything at all, yes it’s that good!  The first part of braising lamb is seasoning them and then searing them in a bit of olive oil until they are golden brown.  The process of braising is caramelizing until roasted, not over cooked, and then finishing by simmering in a flavorful liquid.  Once the lamb is browned on all sides you want to remove it and then add a bunch of vegetables into the pan that you roasted the lamb in.  I’m a huge fan of not peeling my root vegetables simply because there is so much flavor and so many nutrients on the skin of vegetables.  Instead of peeling them, I like to simply wash them really well and then slice them up.  One my favorite kitchen gadgets to help me do this our Franke Roller Mat and Gooseneck Faucet with Hose Extender.  The Roller Mat acts as a colander, among many other things, making it easy to wash vegetables right over of the sink.  It’s honestly one of the coolest things in our kitchen and we use it daily!  Once the veggies are washed and rinsed you then want to roast them up in that pan until they are caramelized.  This part takes about 15 minutes to do it properly.  Once browned add in some tomato paste to help give it some color and body followed up by deglazing with red wine.  From there add the liquid, herbs, the browned lamb shanks, and a lid, and off to the oven it goes. I promise it’s that easy, just check out the video!

While the lamb is in the oven you’ll definitely have some time on your hands, so go hang out for 2 hours before returning to the kitchen to prepare the risotto.  I grew up in a kitchen that made risotto every day, so it’s as serious as religion for me.  You must always use an oversized pot to make it in and you must always use a wooden spoon while always continuing to stir in the exact same direction.  Don’t you dare let me catch you stirring any other way :-).  To me, the most important part of risotto is making sure you take the time to brown up and caramelize your onions.  Preparing the onions this way will make for the most flavorful rich risotto ever, so be sure to give yourself an hour total to make the risotto.  Once your onions are browned, add in the rice to toast it up a bit.  You then deglaze with white wine followed up by adding in chicken stock a few ladles at a time until the rice absorbs all the liquid, all while continuing to stir.  You repeat this process quite a few times until the rice is al dente, or slightly crunchy.  Always finish off your risotto with some fresh grated parmesan cheese and cream to give the richest of flavors.

The last thing you want to do is plate everything by adding a lamb shank over a bed of risotto along with some of the jus from the braising pot.  You can garnish with some fresh herbs, but I suggest not wasting too much time so you can eat this deliciousness ASAP!  Happy cooking everyone and oh if you love lamb, then my Roasted Rack of Lamb is an absolute must try!

Video

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

Sink your teeth into this delicious and elegant Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto that is sure to be a family favorite!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time3 hrs 20 mins
Total Time3 hrs 40 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 1486kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

For the Lamb:

  • 4 lamb shanks
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 3 sliced carrots peelings on
  • 2 sliced parsnips peelings on
  • 1 sliced turnip peelings on
  • 1 sliced yellow onion peelings on
  • 4 sliced celery stalks
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 12-15 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 small bunch of parsley
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 2 cups of red wine
  • 32 ounces of beef stock
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

For the Risotto:

  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups of Arborio rice
  • 2 cups of chardonnay
  • 64 ounces of chicken stock
  • 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°.
  • Lamb: Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper and sear them until golden brown in a large pot with olive oil over high heat. Once brown remove them from the pot and set aside.
  • Next, add all of the vegetables and herbs into the pot and caramelize, about 15 minutes.
  • Add in the tomato paste and stir until combined and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and cook until it becomes very thick and incorporated into the mixture.
  • Add in the stock followed up by adding in the lamb shanks. Place a lid over the pot and cook in the oven at 325° for 3 hours. Remove them from the pot and strain the vegetables and serve with the remaining liquid.
  • Risotto: Risotto: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot and add in the onions and caramelize, about 20 minutes.
  • Next, add in the rice and toast for 2 to 3 minutes before deglazing with white wine.
  • Stir the rice constantly until the rice has absorbed the wine and add in 8 ounces of chicken stock at a time while continuing to stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat the process until the risotto is al dente or slightly crunchy.
  • Fold in the Parmesan cheese, whipping cream and season with salt and pepper until combined. Keep warm.
  • Serve the lamb over a bed of risotto.

Nutrition

Calories: 1486kcal | Carbohydrates: 136g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 254mg | Sodium: 1889mg | Potassium: 2457mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 9290IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 496mg | Iron: 12mg

 

Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto was last modified: December 6th, 2019 by Chef Billy Parisi

FREE EMAIL SERIES

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

Previous Post: « Easy Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Next Post: No Knead Pizza Crust »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Holly says

    February 15, 2020 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for me and my fiance on Valentine’s Day and oh my gosh it was fantastic. My fiance LOVED it and has already requested I make it again soon lol. I haven’t made lamb nor risotto before and found this recipe to be super easy to follow. Thanks for posting!

    I do want to point out one thing though. The video includes baby bellas but the written recipe doesn’t. I added them in with the veggies.

    All in all, I’m looking forward to making this again!

    Reply
  2. Sandra Myddelton says

    December 23, 2019 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    Made the lamb the other night to test it out before Christmas Eve and it was AWESOME! I can’t wait to make it for my whole family. Thanks for sharing this gem.

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      December 23, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Fantastic, LOVE THIS!!

      Reply
  3. Brad Daquila says

    July 12, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    Risotto, family favorite, lamb ditto, your risotto a step up, love cooking with you, and still working on perfect pizza dough fifteen years and counting getting close though.

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      July 13, 2018 at 8:04 am

      LOVE this post my friend, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Maria says

    December 23, 2017 at 11:41 am

    Can we use a slow cooker for the lamb?

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      December 23, 2017 at 1:25 pm

      possibly, but you still need to sear them first and make sure your slow cooker gets hot enough. Not sure on the time though?

      Reply
      • Maria says

        December 29, 2017 at 1:49 pm

        Thanks! I’ll stick with the oven. In your video, it says 300 temp, but the instructions say 325. Should we stick with 325? Also, where would I place my rack? In the video it looks like your rack is close to the top of the oven. We’re making this for NYE, we’re pretty excited to try it out.

        Reply
        • Chef Billy Parisi says

          December 29, 2017 at 2:44 pm

          So my oven runs a little hot so my 300 is most likely your 325 so I would stick with that and keep the pan towards the top! Good Luck and Happy New Year!

          Reply
  5. Jen says

    November 13, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    @ How long will the risotto take to cook?

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      November 14, 2017 at 6:41 am

      takes about 35-45 minutes

      Reply
  6. Nathanael Micklos says

    April 29, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I made this for my wife and in laws and it turned out amazing.
    This was my first time making lamb shanks and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      April 30, 2017 at 7:34 am

      Thanks Nathanael, so great it turned out so good for you!

      Reply
  7. Mauro says

    April 14, 2017 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    Hi Billy,
    Good recipe!
    But I’m struggling a bit here to understand. If lamb, duck and turkey aren’t norm, what is?
    They’re available everywhere…

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      April 14, 2017 at 7:28 am

      Not sure what you’re asking?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

free email series

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

FEATURED IN

IT’S SOUP SEASON

bowl of beef and barley soup with herbs

Traditional Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

bowl of ham and bean soup

Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

bowl of ribollita soup with kale and carrots

Tuscan Ribollita Soup Recipe

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

bowl of chicken noodle soup with vegetables

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

bowl of stew with vegetables

Mulligan Stew Recipe

POPULAR POSTS

  • Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipe
  • vinegar based coleslaw recipe with apple cider vinegar Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
  • Beef Braciole Recipe (Involtini)
  • jar of Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe
  • Perfectly Cooked Boneless Chicken Breast Recipe
  • how to boil green beans Boiled Green Beans Recipe with Butter Glaze

Footer

As Seen On:

Copyright © 2021 Chef Billy Parisi | Privacy Policy