The name of this traditional Lebanese dish, laban immo, means ‘milk of its mother’ because the yoghurt sauce was traditionally made with sheep’s milk.
This lamb shank recipe is so easy it virtually cooks itself. I love the tangy Lebanese yoghurt sauce with it to cut through the richness of the meat, but you could leave that out if you prefer.
Either way, serve the shanks with roast potatoes – like the spicy, crisp Lebanese ones here – or with steamed basmati rice.
The spicing in the cooking liquid is optional and to taste. I always use some cinnamon, fresh bay leaves and peppercorns, then add the other spices depending on what I have on hand.
The lamb cooking liquid is too good to waste, so freeze it to make a delicious, quick lamb and bean soup, adding any leftover meat from the shanks; dollop some of the yoghurt sauce into it too if you like.
Traditionally the shanks are served bathed in yoghurt sauce, but I like to keep most of the sauce separate so diners can add as little or as much as they like.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (60ml)
- 2 brown onions, cut into thick slivers
- salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- plain flour, for dusting
- 4 lamb shanks (about 1.4kg/3lb)
- 1 1/2 litres water, or more to cover (6 cups)
- 1 stick cinnamon, broken
- 2 fresh bay leaves, bruised
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 allspice berries, 3 bruised green cardamom pods and/or 3 cloves (optional)
- 300ml Lebanese Yoghurt Sauce with herb mixture separate (optional)
Method
Place a frying pan, large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer, over medium heat.
Add oil, onion and a good pinch of salt. Stir well, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Uncover, increase heat to medium–high and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until just starting to colour.
Meanwhile, place flour in a plastic bag with a good pinch of salt and grind of pepper.
Add shanks one by one and shake to coat well, shaking off the excess flour.
Push onion to the side of the pan, add shanks, increase heat to high and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until coloured (the onions will be very dark by then; that’s fine).
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, cinnamon, bay and peppercorns and, if using, allspice, cardamom and/or cloves.
Add water, topping it up with a little extra if needed to completely cover the shanks.
Bring to the boil. Skim to remove any froth that’s floated to the surface, reduce heat so that it’s just gently bubbling, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, then turn the shanks over in the liquid and continue cooking for a further 30–45 minutes, until meat is very tender.
Remove shanks from the cooking liquid and set aside to keep warm.
Strain cooking liquid, discarding solids and reserving the liquid.
Put yoghurt sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and stir regularly until it starts to simmer.
Stir in about half the reserved herb mixture and a quarter cup of the lamb cooking liquid.
Taste and add more salt if needed.
Spoon some of the sauce into a shallow serving bowl, add shanks, drizzle with a little more yoghurt sauce and garnish with remaining herb mixture (you may need to microwave it for 5 seconds if it’s come straight out of the fridge).
Serve with remaining sauce on the side.
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Also read: Pork Sausage Ragu with Pasta
