Slow-roast lamb shank shawarma | Bibbyskitchen best lamb shank recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of lamb for slow roasting? ›

Cuts of lamb that are popular for slow cooking include the shoulder, leg, forequarter, shanks, neck chops, lamb ribs, and some sausages. These cuts are usually tougher because they have lots of connective tissue and fats, but this makes them perfect for slow and low methods of cooking.

Slow-cooking lamb requires patience. While cooking, resist the urge to keep checking on the lamb and refrain from opening the oven or slow cooker. Opening the lid or foil too often will lower the temperature and extend the cooking time, making the meat less juicy and tender.

Do you need to trim lamb shanks? Shanks will usually be ready to cook right away, but you can trim off excess fat and the silverskin (a thin, shiny membrane) for nicer presentation. You can also 'French' your shanks by slicing away the tendons and sinew at the smaller end of the shank, exposing the bone.

The secret to cooking lamb shanks is to cook them low and slow, until the meat is fall-apart tender. Lamb shanks have quite a bit of connective tissue that requires cooking in a liquid or moist environment for several hours before the meat will become soft.

Should you sear lamb before slow cooking? To maximize the flavor of your lamb shoulder roast, you'll definitely want to give it a good sear before braising. It'll take about a half hour over medium-high heat for the meat to turn deep golden brown on all sides, essentially caramelizing while sealing in the juices.

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

How long can you leave lamb in a slow cooker? It takes a long time to overcook most lamb cuts in the slow cooker. Cuts like the shoulder, shanks and forequarter are much more forgiving than a leg of lamb, and they can stay in the slow cooker for a couple more hours than the recommended cooking time.

All the lamb needs is a sprinkle of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil. Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart.

What are some popular cooking methods for shank? Shank is best cooked using slow and moist cooking methods to tenderize the meat and bring out its flavors. Some popular cooking methods include braising, slow roasting, or using a slow cooker.

Should you wash lamb shanks before cooking? ›

There is no need to rinse raw lamb before cooking because this creates a cross-contamination hazard and is not necessary. Any bacteria which might be present would be destroyed by cooking.

Temperatures for braising lamb shanks

Insert a probe, attached to your ChefAlarm, into one of your shanks and set your high-temperature alarm to 203°F (95°C). By the time the meat comes up to that temperature at that cooking temp, enough of the collagen will have melted to make your shanks fork-tender.

Don't worry about overcooking lamb shanks.

This is a forgiving cut of meat that can withstand quite a bit of overcooking (in fact, it needs it!). But undercooked lamb shanks are tough and chewy – not fun to eat! The meat should fall off the bone at the touch of your fork, so budget the time to get to that point.

Baking soda / bi-carb and cornflour/cornstarch are the secret ingredients that tenderise the lamb meat. It's a technique called “velveting” that is used by Chinese restaurants, and it's the reason why the meat in your favourite Chinese dishes are always so soft.

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150°C to soften the meat.

Lamb leg is always a great option for a Sunday roast dinner. The leg meat is juicy and tender and can slow-cooked with herbs or roasted for less time and served slightly pink in the middle. This is a very versatile cut of meat and goes well with a variety of seasonings and is a great all-rounder cut of lamb.

Loin. Lamb Loin is where the most tender cuts come from, including loin chops and loin roasts. The loin is leaner than meat from the rack. Be careful not to overcook it, and be sure to use a dry-heat method such as broiling, grilling or roasting.

Our preference would be to use lamb shoulder. A lamb leg tends to have a layer of fat on the outside, rather than marbled through the meat, and this means that it is not quite so suitable for the very long cooking time. Lamb leg can become a little dry if it is cooked badly.

The leg and rack are the most tender cuts of meat on a lamb, and are at their best when roasted. Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add any liquid to the meat as you cook it.