I think if you ask people about their wine pairing preference with lamb, most will answer Cabernet. While I’m not going to tell you that’s wrong, (2018 Calistoga, anyone?) I will say you’re missing out if you’ve never paired lamb with a bottle of Syrah. Syrah’s structure, earth driven characteristics, and dark, subdued fruit combine to work wonderfully with the power and richness of a good piece of lamb. Trust me on this. Side note, Father’s Day is this month and if you’re like me, you want to be the grill master while you watch the final round of the U.S. Open.
So… a few months ago, I picked up some beautiful lamb shanks at the market. I didn’t have a plan for them, and I’d never smoked lamb, so I did a bit of research. Every recipe I read that day took the same approach. Smoking for about 90 minutes on the rack and then for about 2 hours in a heavy pot with a small amount of braising liquid. ***keep in mind, larger shanks will, of course, take more time.***
The beauty of this recipe is not only the relatively short cooking time, but also you don’t need any special equipment. All you need is a charcoal grill, a turkey baster, and a heavy-duty pot. Of course, if you have a proper smoker, then use that, by all means. Additionally, this can be done without holding your lamb in the refrigerator for days with a complex rub on them. The fact of the matter is, I only put a little bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin on the lamb right before I start cooking. This really is a snap!
Smoked Lamb Shank
Serves 4 to 6
Pairing Suggestions
2023 Estate Grown Carneros Syrah
2018 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon
Ingredients
Lamb Shanks, 4 each – about 4 lb
Garlic powder – 2 tsp
Cumin – 2 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Black pepper – 2 tsp
Braising/Basting Liquid (Not too much. About ½ gallon)
Beef stock – 1 quart
Red Wine (Something on the heavier side. Syrah would be ideal) – 2 cups
Large yellow onion – 1 ea, Chopped, sliced, or diced to your preference
Cremini Mushrooms – 1# – Diced/chopped to your preference
Dried oregano – 1 Tbsp
Dried Thyme – 1 Tbsb
Clove, Whole – 1 tsp
Garlic cloves – 2, lightly crushed
Salt – 2 tsp – Less if you’re using store bought stock with salt in it
Black pepper – about 10 grinds
Equipment
Large heavy-bottomed pot (8–12 qt)
Charcoal Grill
Method
Season the Lamb
In a large bowl, combine lamb spices and add lamb shanks. And mix together until spices are evenly distributed on all shanks.
Start your fire.
If you have your own smoker, then you know what to do and probably don’t want me to explain it to you, so just go ahead and do what you do. If you haven’t smoked anything before, there are three things to keep in mind
You’ll need a lot of coal for this, but not all at the same time. Start with a small pile of 12 to 15 briquettes. There will be a bit of maintenance, adding more briquettes from time to time, keeping the fire consistent
Consistent, indirect, low heat is the hallmark of a good smoker, so keep the meat on a part of the grill which is not directly over the fire.
You can use just briquettes for this, but using smoking chips is better. I’ll delve into that later
Smoke the shanks
Once your charcoal is ready, place the shanks on the grill away from direct heat, and cover your grill allowing enough airflow to maintain a temperature of around 250 degrees. Check on your fire adding charcoal and/or smoking chips to maintain consistent smoke and temperature
Prepare your basting liquid
Slice your onion. Heat a large, oven safe heavy pot on the range at medium high heat. Add a tablespoon butter and two tablespoons olive oil. When the butter has melted and started to brown, add your onions.
While the onion is cooking, slice the mushrooms thickly, and add to the pot.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have browned. Add garlic and seasonings. Turn down to low and add the stock and red wine. Bring to a low boil and remove from heat
Feel free to be creative with your basting liquid. This will eventually be the sauce for your dinner. I frequently use Fennel stalks in my stock and sliced fennel, carrots, bell pepper, and beets in my vegetable mixture.
Add shanks to basting pot
Add the shanks to the pot. The basing liquid should come up to the middle of the shanks. Place the pot on the grill and continue to maintain the fire as before. Using the turkey baster, occasionally baste the meat (About every 10 minutes or so)
Smoke and Simmer
Keep the pot with the shanks in it for about 2 – 2 ½ hours. Remove shanks from the pot and let cool on a cutting board until you can comfortably handle them. (10 to 15 minutes) when they’ve cooled, slice the meat off the bone and cut into chunks.
Cook your sauce down
Place pot back onto the range at medium heat. Add any vegetables you want to cook. Heat until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked, for about 25 minutes or so. Add lamb pieces to sauce and stir in. ***I like to put beets on the smoker until they’re half cooked and then finish them in the sauce.
Polenta, pasta & taters:
It is my preference to serve this over polenta, BUT pappardelle or mashed potatoes would also work well with this dish.
Notes & Variations
Accompaniments: A spinach salad with a strawberry vinaigrette would be a great counterpoint to serve with this.
Serving suggestion: This is a great item to serve family style on a large platter or you can also leave the shanks whole and serve plated with everyone getting their own “Fred Flintstone” portion.
Final Note: Smoking chips
You can find smoking chips in just about any store which sells grills and smokers. They shouldn’t cost more than about $5/bag. I like to use hickory and cherry or applewood. The process is quite simple. Throw a handful of each type of chip into a large bowl of water. Let them soak for a half hour, and the put small amounts of chip on your coals they will provide the smoke.
