Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks with White Beans, Rosemary, and Red Wine

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the shanks

   Pat the shanks dry with a paper towel and season with 6 g of salt. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat in batches on all sides, for about 8–10 minutes, until deeply browned. Transfer it to the slow cooker.

   
2. 2

   Prepare the wine base

   Add the red onion to the same skillet and cook for 3 minutes, until softened and lightly browned at the edges. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, and simmer gently for 2 minutes.

   
3. 3

   Begin slow cooking

   Pour the contents of the skillet over the shanks. Add the passata, beef stock, rosemary, bay leaf, black pepper, and the remaining 2 g of salt. The meat should be partially submerged in the sauce. Cover the cooker and cook on LOW for 7 hours; follow your appliance manufacturer's instructions.

   
4. 4

   Add the beans

   After 7 hours, check that the meat is tender. Drain and rinse the white beans, then stir them into the sauce around the shanks. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 more hour. Use a thermometer to check that the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, has reached at least 71 °C; the meat should also be tender and separate easily from the bone.

   
5. 5

   Finish the sauce and serve

   Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Stir the lemon juice and lemon zest into the sauce. Taste and check the seasoning; if the sauce is too thick, stir in 30 ml of hot water. Serve one shank per portion with the beans and sauce.