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Oh my gosh… talk about the ultimate in comfort food. Lamb shanks are so easy and absolutely delicious. And the great thing is, I can make these in my Instapot in just over an hour. No more early morning filling of the slow cooker for me. You can literally make this filling meal from start to finish in 1 ½ hours and the meat will be falling off the bone. If you don’t have an InstaPot, don’t worry – you can follow along and use a slow cooker – prepare everything in the morning and set the slow cooker to low for 8-9 hours.
Easier than it Seems
A few years ago, my sister told me about her InstaPot, and I really didn’t want to learn how to use another device. In today’s world, we are so overwhelmed with technology, I was kind of afraid I wouldn’t be able to figure it out! It looked complicated, and seemed to have a lot of parts. As it turned out, when I finally dragged it out of the closet, washed all the parts and put them together, it actually was quite easy. Therefore, I was afraid for no reason. The best part is that all the parts can be washed in the dishwasher! You can order an InstaPot at the end of this post.
Let’s Get Started
So, for this particular recipe, I do use my stove to brown the meat. This is because although you can sauté in the Instapot and use just one pot for everything, the sides of the pan dip down a little and I feel like I have to use more oil than I want. That is just my thing, plus, I got these great new Calphalon pans. Of course, I jump at any opportunity to use them! Additionally, I like to make my mushroom risotto with this dish (Mushroom Risotto Recipe) and it’s just easier to make on the stove at the same time as the lamb shanks.
Gather the Ingredients
So, first I get all of my ingredients together, and have them ready to go. Rinse off your lamb shanks and pat them dry with a paper towel. (On a side note, the shanks will have a strong smell – I prefer to buy them from fresh versus frozen – as the freezer packaging causes the smell to be super strong.)
After drying them, salt and pepper them on all sides. Heat the extra virgin olive oil up in the skillet until it is good and hot. Using tongs, carefully place your lamb shanks in the skillet and let them sear on each side until browned. They are ready to turn when they don’t stick to the pan.
Everyone in the Pot
Once they are browned, place them in the InstaPot; while they are in there getting happy, sauté your chopped onion. Add the carrots, and cook until the onion starts to become soft. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. You want to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove the veggies and pour into the Instapot.
Using red wine deglaze, the pan and add the beef broth and heat thoroughly. Add this mixture to the Instapot. Add your seasonings and seal the pot. Make sure the steam valve is closed. Set the pressure cook to 1:00 (one hour).
Lamb Shank
Relax
Relax, it will be perfectly cooked. Serve with any sides of your choosing. When I make mushroom risotto, I start it when I have about 15 minutes left on the Instapot. Once the pressure cooking time is done, the Instapot automatically switches to warm. This gives me time to make the risotto, and let the pressure release naturally on the Instapot, which typically takes about 15-20 minutes.
When the risotto is done, you can release the remaining pressure from the pot. Be sure to keep your hands away from the steam, as it can burn you. I usually use a wooden spoon to push it open. When it is safe, the lid will open easily. Enjoy!
Sherri
Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 2 Lamb Shanks
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 Carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 6 cup Beef Broth
- 1/2 Onion chopped
Instructions
- Rinse lamb shanks and dry with a paper towel. Salt and Pepper them on all sides.
- Heat a medium sized skillet. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Using tongs, carefully place lamb shanks in the skillet and sear them on each side until browned.
- Remove them from the skillet and place them into the InstaPot.
- Add onion and carrots to the skillet and sauté for a few minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Remove from the skillet and add them to the InstaPot.
- Pour the red wine into the skillet to deglaze the pan, and add beef broth and heat thoroughly. Add this to the InstaPot and seal the pot, making sure the steam valve is closed.
- Set the InstaPot to Pressure and set the time for 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Notes
Order your InstaPot here:
