Slow-Cooker Lamb Shanks with Homemade Vegetable Stock and Rosemary

There is something special about preparing lamb shanks for Sunday lunch and letting the slow cooker do the work. This version uses two short lamb shanks, gently browned onions, homemade vegetable stock and a little freshly ground rosemary. Unlike my earlier red-wine lamb shanks recipe, the flavour comes from the lamb, onions and homemade stock, with garlic added towards the end of cooking.

I photographed the preparation as I went, from patiently softening the onion to browning the lamb and heating the vegetable stock. After eight hours on low, the lamb fell straight off the bone and was beautifully tasty. I served it with homemade gravy, roasted carrots and parsnips, golden potatoes, root vegetable mash, mixed vegetables and a sweet, minty homemade jelly. The finished dinner and preparation stages were all photographed.

Ingredients — serves 2

• 2 short lamb shanks
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 250–300ml homemade vegetable stock, warmed (estimated quantity; use enough for a shallow layer of liquid in the slow cooker)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed — to add during the final 2 hours of cooking
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, finely ground in a pestle and mortar
• A little olive oil or butter for frying the onion and searing the lamb
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to make slow-cooker lamb shanks

1. Finely chop the onion. Heat a little butter or olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the onion gently, stirring regularly, until softened and golden. Don’t rush this stage: the slow browning develops its sweetness.
2. Transfer the golden onions to the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Crush ½ teaspoon dried rosemary using a pestle and mortar until fine. Set aside.
4. Using the same frying pan, brown the two lamb shanks on all sides, turning as the meat develops a golden-brown crust. This is to build flavour, not to cook them through.
5. Place the browned lamb shanks on top of the onions in the slow cooker.
6. Pour a splash of your homemade vegetable stock into the frying pan and stir to loosen the browned cooking juices, avoiding any burnt pieces. Heat the stock until hot, then pour it over the lamb and onions. Add the remaining stock and ground rosemary.
7. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, the time I used for these two short lamb shanks. Slow cookers and shank sizes vary, so check that the meat is fully cooked and fork-tender, pulling easily away from the bone.
8. About 2 hours before serving, stir in the two freshly crushed garlic cloves. This keeps more of the garlic’s aroma while allowing it to cook gently in the stock.
9. When the lamb is fork-tender and pulling easily from the bone, lift it out carefully and keep warm. Blend the softened onion into the cooking juices, or reduce the juices in a saucepan, for a naturally rich gravy. Taste and season before serving.

Why brown the lamb and soften the onions?

Giving the onions time to become golden develops their natural sweetness. Browning the shanks adds a deeper savoury flavour to the pan. Deglazing with stock then captures those browned juices for the sauce.

Why add the garlic towards the end?

I prefer adding crushed garlic during the last two hours of slow cooking. Garlic can taste bitter if it scorches in the frying pan, and a long slow cook can mellow its flavour considerably. Adding it later helps retain the aroma without using raw garlic at the table.

The finished Sunday dinner

After eight hours on low, the shank was tender enough to fall off the bone. The gravy, fresh vegetables and sweet, minty homemade jelly made this a satisfying Sunday dinner. Every part of the meal tasted great.

What to serve with lamb shanks

Serve with sweet potato, swede and parsnip mash, honey-roasted carrots and parsnips, and a little homemade vinegar-free mint jelly alongside the lamb. Keep the mint jelly separate to preserve its fresh flavour.

Another way to cook lamb shanks

For a richer version with red wine and additional vegetables, see my slow-cooked lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary.

Cooking notes and food safety

Use properly stored, freshly prepared or frozen homemade stock. The slow cooker should start cooking promptly rather than holding meat at room temperature, and the finished lamb should be thoroughly cooked and fork-tender. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat until piping hot throughout. After eight hours on low, the lamb was falling off the bone and tasted delicious. The finished dinner was photographed.