Like any braised dish, this lamb shanks recipe is better when made one day ahead.
Ingredients
Serves 8
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place lamb shanks on a large rimmed baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. Mix cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom in a small bowl; massage spice mixture into lamb. Let rest 1 hour at room temperature or chill uncovered up to 12 hours (the longer, the better).
Step 2
If chilling, let shanks sit at room temperature 1 hour for even roasting.
Step 3
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high. Working in batches, cook lamb shanks until brown on all sides, 10–15 minutes. Transfer lamb to paper towels to drain.
Step 4
Wipe out pot and let cool slightly so that vegetables don’t burn. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in pot over medium. Add onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, 8–10 minutes. Add thyme sprigs, garlic, and bay leaves and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir vigorously to evenly distribute. Cook, stirring often, until flour is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth, pomegranate juice, and pomegranate molasses. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Arrange lamb shanks in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Pour in onion mixture and push lamb shanks down into liquid (about three-quarters of lamb shanks should be submerged; add more broth if needed). Cover pan with foil and cook lamb, turning occasionally, until meat is fork-tender and almost falling off the bone, 1 1/2–2 hours. Remove pan from oven and let lamb rest, covered, in liquid at least 30 minutes.
Step 6
Transfer lamb to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; skim off fat from surface and discard. Add walnuts to braising liquid and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook until reduced by one-third, 15–20 minutes (sauce should be slightly thickened and velvety). Add butter a piece at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated before adding more; sauce should look glossy. Return lamb to pot and cook, stirring to coat, until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 7
Arrange lamb over polenta on a platter and spoon walnuts and sauce over; top with lemon zest.
Do Ahead
Step 8
Lamb shanks can be braised 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
石榴molasses, a thick pomegranate syrup, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, some supermarkets, andonline.
How would you rate Lamb Shanks With Pomegranate and Walnuts?
Leave a Review
Reviews (9)
Back to TopFabulous dish. The flavors are spectacular; the aromas, divine. I've made this several times for guests and there are never any leftovers. For sides, I've used polenta, couscous, and Persian rice. It works with all of them. A nice arugula salad on the side, a nice merlot or shiraz in your glass, and you'll find yourself in heaven.
kat
Northern Neck, VA
12/11/2022
Made this yesterday for tonight. From the refrigerator, I removed lamb from sauce and removed fat, and heated it so I could strain it, but I have so little sauce. There is only a half inch left. Instructions suggest making a day ahead. Would be good to add if we are meant to store lamb in sauce in fridge or deglaze sauce before chilling?
mhjin20
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2021
I made this for a dinner party and everybody loved it so it will stay in the special occasion rotation. Changes I made were to leave out the walnuts (because I served it with basmati rice with dill and pistachios and another nut seemed redundant). Also I cooked on the stovetop in a Dutch oven for 30 minutes covered plus 1.5 hours with pot partially uncovered. Made 1 day ahead so I could de-fat and let flavors develop. Before dinner I reheated on med-low, took out shanks and kept warm with foil, reduced and seasoned sauce and then put shanks back in. It was truly impressive and delicious.
Anonymous
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6/2/2019
My husband made this for my birthday and it was delicious. The lamb just fell off the bone, and the polenta was a great match.
anne_layne_farrar
3/5/2019
I just made this for my husband's birthday and it turned out really well. I only used 3 lamb shanks and halved the recipe ingredients. Didn't have polenta so I made mashed potatoes which was tasty. The only thing I'd change is to chop the walnuts instead of leaving the halves whole when finishing the sauce. I'd definitely make this again.
shana27
Oakton, VA
2/14/2018
This is more or less a classic Persian stew called Fesenjan, which is always made with chicken. The chef created something semi-new with this recipe, but it's much more complicated than the classic chicken dish. The ingredients are nearly all the same but I would suggest those who like the flavors in this dish to search for a Fesenjan recipe and pair it with saffron basmati rice.
Anonymous
Ottawa, Canada
2/9/2018
We made this, we love lamb shanks, we are experienced cooks (for decades). For some strange reason it filled the kitchen with the vilest smell ever. The lamb was fine, the butcher had just brought them in. I don't know what happened, spices were fresh, lamb was fine, etc. I would like to try it again, in theory, just to see if we get a different result but don't think I can get past the revulsion left in my memory. 3 great reviews here so I can't imagine what happened. It looked wonderful, just the way it should. As an aside, I do have my issues with some BA recipes, sometimes I don't think they are tested that well.
wgrpeapod
Oyster Bay, NY
1/21/2017
A lot of steps but well worth it. I did find the pomegranate molasses at the Mediterranean market (along with a million other great things). Realized I was out of polenta so I used grits and stirred in goat cheese. Excellent pairing as well. Will make again! Oh and ask the butcher to cut your shanks long ways. They look prettier that way.
tiflabruno
San Diego, CA
1/15/2017
Despite the long and somewhat confusing directions, this recipe is delicious. WAY too many walnuts for the amount of meat. The first step, to pre-heat the oven, is misplaced, since the next step takes 1 hour, or much more, depending on your choice of timing. Don't need that much time. Also, when I braise meat, I do NOT uncover it to turn it, as the steam and heat that create the braising leave the pan then. Still, a great dish.
nancess
WilmetteWWilmeWWWilmette,W
1/2/2017
I tested this as an option for New Year's Eve dinner and it's a keeper. I did make my own pomegranate molasses by boiling juice with sugar and lemon. Next time, I will be cutting down on the cinnamon and upping the cumin. Just personal preference. The sauce is lovely and the strips of lemon zest really make the dish pop.
vetterl
Walnut Creek, CA
12/27/2016
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