Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate Jus

a true holiday table showstopper

Whenever I host something on Thanksgiving, I braise meat as a co-partner to the turkey. I think it’s such a nice touch and people always get SO impressed by it. The best part is that it is objectively the easiest dish on the menu as you just have to sear it, put it with some veggies and broth, and then forget about it.

Usually, I do a brisket that’s been braised over two days, but this year I decided to go with lamb shanks in a pomegranate jus to up the ante a little. I hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do!

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Ingredients:

4-6 lamb shanks (each shank comfortably feeds one)

2 tsp salt

4 large shallots thinly sliced

4 cloves of crushed garlic

2 sprigs of rosemary

3-4 springs of thyme

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

5 cups beef stock

1/2 tsp of salt

enough water to cover

seeds of one pomegrante

bunch of mint leaves picked

Method:

Trim any excess fat off the lamb shanks and pat dry. Season heavily with salt on all sides. In a large pot (oven-safe), put 1 tbsp of oil and let heat up. Working with one or two lamb shanks at a time, place in the pot and get golden brown on all sides. You are searing them to help develop color and flavor around the shank. Repeat this with all the shanks, making sure to drain any excess fat between each round. Don’t overcrowd the pan as this will make the meat steam, not get a nice color.

Preheat your oven to 150 C or 300 F.

Once the shanks are all done, set them to the side. In the same pan, add the shallots along with 1 tbsp of oil and cook until soft. Then, add in the garlic and herbs and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add in the pomegranate molasses (which will deglaze the pan), and stir to lift the brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Then, add in your beef stock and stir to combine.

Place your shanks back in the pot, making sure they’re covered by the liquid. The bones can peek out slightly. If they aren’t covered, you can add more water until they are. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and place in the oven.

Let braise in the oven for 4-5 hours but you can start checking around 3 as the time can depend on the size of the shanks. You want the meat to be shreddable with forks.

You can also do this on the stove. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat until the liquid is barely at a simmer. It should take a similar amount of time if not less.

When the meat is cooked, take the shanks out place them in a bowl, and cover them

with parchment paper and 1/2 the liquid in the pan so the meat doesn’t dry out and stays warm. Taste at this point and add any more salt if you feel it needs.

Take the liquid in the pot and strain it into another large pot. Place over high heat and reduce down until nice and syrupy. You don’t want it to reduce down to the point where it’s unpleasantly intense but you want a light syrupy consistency with a good concentration of flavor.

When you’re happy with the jus, place the meat into the jus, warm it in the just and then place on a serving platter. Drizzle any remaining jus over the top and garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint leaves.