A braised lamb shank is one of those dishes that rewards patience in a way that feels almost unfair – low heat, a little wine, a handful of aromatics, and the oven does everything. This version adds dried oregano from the start, fresh mint stirred into the jus at the end, and a spoonful of redcurrant jelly that lifts the whole thing into something quietly special. Cooking for one has never felt less like a compromise.

From raw to plate – braised lamb shank with oregano, mint and redcurrant jus - Casa Adora

INGREDIENTS FOR BRAISED LAMB SHANK

For the lamb

• 1 lamb shank
• Olive oil
• 3–4 cloves garlic (2–3 for the infused oil, 2 unpeeled for the braise)
• Dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper

For the mirepoix

• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 stick celery, roughly chopped

For the braise

• Hot stock (lamb or chicken)
• A glass of dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves

For the jus

• A small handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tsp redcurrant jelly
• A little cornflour (if needed to thicken)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3.
2. Make a garlic infused oil by gently warming a generous splash of olive oil in a small pan. Add 2–3 crushed cloves of garlic and allow them to brown slowly. Once browned, remove the cloves – they have done their job. Set the oil aside to cool.
3. Once cooled, rub the garlic oil all over the lamb shank. Season well with salt and black pepper and sprinkle generously with dried oregano.
4. Place the lamb shank in a roasting tin and cook uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the chopped carrot, onion, and celery on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil – garlic oil if any remains – and toss to coat. Season and place in the oven alongside the lamb until the vegetables are beginning to brown.
6. Remove both the tin and the baking sheet from the oven. Tip the roasted vegetables over the lamb shank. Pour in enough hot stock to come partway up the shank, add the glass of white wine, the unpeeled garlic cloves, and the bay leaves.
7. Cover tightly with foil or a lid and return to the oven for a further hour, or until the lamb is completely tender and falling from the bone.
8. Remove the lamb shank and vegetables and keep warm. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat on the hob and skim off any excess fat.
9. If the jus needs thickening, stir in a little cornflour mixed with cold water. Add the chopped fresh mint and redcurrant jelly and stir until dissolved and the jus reaches your preferred consistency.
10. Pour the jus over the lamb and vegetables and serve with cauliflower and potato mash and greens of your choice.

Why Braised Lamb Shank Works Every Time

The lamb shank is one of the most forgiving cuts available. It is heavily worked muscle, dense with collagen, and it responds to long, slow cooking by becoming something entirely different – yielding, rich, and deeply flavoured in a way that quicker methods simply cannot achieve. The braise does the work. Your job is mostly to wait.

The garlic infused oil at the start is a small detail that makes a quiet difference. Rather than adding raw garlic directly to the shank, warming it slowly in oil extracts the flavour without the harshness, leaving behind a mellow, fragrant base that penetrates the meat as it roasts. The cloves themselves are discarded – their contribution already made.

Oregano, Mint, and Redcurrant

Dried oregano and lamb is a combination with deep roots in Greek and Mediterranean cooking – robust, aromatic, and entirely at home with slow heat. The fresh mint arrives later, stirred into the jus at the end, where it adds brightness without overwhelming. And the redcurrant jelly – a British instinct, perhaps – brings a gentle sweetness and a gloss to the sauce that makes it feel considerably more considered than the effort involved.

These three flavours do not compete. They layer – the oregano anchoring the dish in the oven, the mint lifting it at the last moment, and the redcurrant rounding everything off.

Cooking for One

One lamb shank is a perfectly calibrated meal for a single person – substantial enough to feel like a proper occasion and contained enough not to generate leftovers that need managing. Served with cauliflower and potato mash and whatever greenery is to hand, it is the kind of dinner that makes cooking for one feel less like a concession and more like a considered choice.

This braised lamb shank recipe is part of the Lamb & Goat collection — lamb and goat recipes from Casa Adora and the road.

This recipe is also part of the Slow Cooker & Slow Cooking Recipes collection — braised meat, one-pot casseroles, confit, and slow roasts from Casa Adora and the road, gathered in one place. Browse all recipes here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef