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Lamb Ragu

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lamb shanks approximate 3.5lbs (1.5kg total weight)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 carrot peeled and chopped
  • 1 shallot sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 bottle red wine
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil on high heat in a sauce pan large enough to fit the two shanks in. Try not to use too big of a pot because too much stock will be needed to cover the shanks while cooking.
  2. One at a time, brown the shanks on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. Saute onion, garlic, shallot and carrot until soft and translucent.
  4. Add browned shanks, red wine, beef stock, bay leaves and pepper.
  5. Cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer. (leave lid slightly vented)
  6. Cook for about an hour and a half until the meat has pulled away from the bone (see photo above).
  7. Remove shanks from the sauce, stir in tomato paste, and turn heat up to bring to a slow boil.
  8. When shanks are cool enough to handle remove the meat and shred. Discard any extra fat.
  9. Return shredded lamb to the sauce and reduce the sauce until desired consistency. This can take up to an hour. Sauce should be thick. Taste and add salt if needed.
  10. Serve over pasta or polenta or stuff into ravioli.
  11. Sauce freezes very well.

Recipe Notes

**Use a dry red wine that you would drink. The bottle pictured (Kaiken) is a wine I like from Argentina. I have purchased all over the US as well as in Australia. At about $10 a bottle it's a good option for this sauce.