| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 3 hr |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
- 1 (750ml) bottle ruby port
- Water
- 3 tablespoons mulling spices
- 2 pounds fresh pappardelle pasta
Instructions
- Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat the oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, to not overcrowd the pan, sear the shanks on all sides until deep brown, about 7 minutes. Remove the shanks to a plate and add the port. Bring to a simmer, scraping any brown bits off bottom of pan and reduce by 1/3. Add the mulling spices, wrapped in cheesecloth or in a muslin tea bag. Return shanks to the pot, adding water if needed, to cover the meat. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the shanks to a cutting board and let rest. Discard the mulling spices. Simmer the braising liquid until reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water, about 4 minutes. Pull the meat from the bones, chop it and add it to the sauce. Drain the pasta, and add it to the meat and sauce. Toss and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Reviews
This recipe is definitely a keeper! The lamb was delicious and slid off the bone. I had no problems with any aspects of the recipe. The sauce didn’t really thicken, but it was so tasty it wasn’t a problem. Only issue was that the click-through on mulling spices didn’t define exactly what spices to use, so thanks to the previous reviewer!
I should of paid attention to the sweet part. For some reason the sweet flavor with pasta was just so odd to me. My husband enjoyed this dish. I recently moved to texas and I could not find pappardelle anywhere so I had to sub with fettuccine. Also my lamb was really slimy. This was my first time cooking lamb, so I am not sure if that’s how it always is. Maybe this would of been better with red wine so its not too sweet. I don’t think this is worth the money, it was really expensive. Or the time.
I was so disappointed by this dish. I spent 4 hours making this and ended up with mediocre-tasting lamb, soupy sauce and bland noodles. This was my first time preparing braised lamb, and perhaps I needed more detailed instructions. I waited 50 minutes for the sauce to thicken after removing the lamb and mulling spices; it reduced but never thickened. If this is your first time making a dish such as this, go with a better regarded recipe. Also, the flavors of this dish were so odd. The mulling spices were overpowering (and I used slightly less than the recipe calls for. I will not make this again and I am kicking myself for wasting so much time and money.
I loved this! Not everyone is a fan of lamb though, so any ideas about another cut of meat?
Wow! I am not a lamb lover but wanted to try this because I thought the port and spices would work well with the strong flavour of lamb. Boy, did it ever work out well! I couldn’t find mulling spices so used about 1/2 tbsp of Chinese 5 Spice which was about right. The meat is perfectly tender. I had to add quite a bit of water (almost 750 ml to get enough liquid to cover the shanks for braising, but I just reduced it for longer after the meat was cooked. I would love to try it with mulling spices and since I will be making this again I will be on the lookout for them. I had also never tried Ruby Port and again, wow!!! I need to get another bottle for drinking : @ rhobe_753653, I think this would work in a crock pot (maybe just brown the meat on the stove before putting it in the crock.
I know this isn’t intended for questions but I wonder if the braising couldn’t be done in the Crock-Pot on high? (The recipe sounds great-but haven’t tried yet..
So yummy! The prep time doesn’t take long, but the cooking process does take awhile – but so worth the wait! The lamb itself is full of flavor and has no problem standing out, despite the strong sauce – so it really does work together very well. I did not have ruby port on hand, so I tried it with simple red wine, and it still turned out delicious! The mulling spices were a bit hard to find, but I eventually found it in Whole food market. So if you’re looking for that type of spice, look there, you won’t regret it!
Loved this recipe. I had to try it when I saw it on TV. I love lamb and this is a great way to have this meat without buying a pricey cut. It does take a while to cook, but you aren’t working on it while it is braising so it is easy. I have never considered lamb as a subtle flavored meat, so I need to disagree with the reviewer that thought the flavors were overpowering. Williams Sonoma also has a good mulling spice mix and I used a very inexpensive Ruby Port from Trader Joes that had a great fruit balance for this dish. The only thing that took longer than the recipe states was cooking down the sauce. It took us over an hour to get it down to the consistency we wanted – this could have been a personal preference though. Thanks Claire, love your food, your show and your adorable French Bulldog!
My family and I loved this recipe. We had to make it after watching the show. It definitely takes time, but it was worth the wait and easy to prepare (just time consuming). You can find mulling spices at Trader Joe’s. Took me awhile but I found them and it was worth it.
I attempted to make the recipe this evening and it was terrible…..really terrible. I followed the recipe completely. It took 3 hours or so to make, and both my husband and I were extremely disappointed. The mulling spices overpowered the subtle tast of the lamb. It was savory but bitter….strange. On a more positive note, the lamb was very tender, and the sauce was a gorgeous color/consistency….just lacking in the taste department…..Oh well, maybe I’ll have better luck with the next recipe! P.S. in response to Hapinapi, Mulling spices are a combination of Orange peel, cinnamon, star anise, allspice, cardamom seed, and cloves. I was able to purchase them at World Market, prepackaged. 🙂 Hope this is helpful.