Curried Lamb Shanks in Wine

Browned lamb shanks braised low and slow in a curried white wine sauce until the meat falls off the bone. The curry powder gets cooked into a roux with the pan drippings and flour, then water and white wine build a thick, savory gravy that bastes the shanks for 90 minutes of gentle simmering.

Building the sauce in the same pan where the shanks browned means all that caramelized fond dissolves into the curry gravy. Those brown bits stuck to the bottom are concentrated meat flavor, and the wine lifts them right off when it hits the hot pan.

Sliced onions layered on top of the shanks melt into sweet, soft ribbons as they steam during the covered braise. They practically dissolve into the sauce by the time the meat is tender.

Chef Tips

• Brown the shanks slowly on all sides. Don’t rush this step. Deep, even browning on the exterior creates the flavor foundation for the entire dish.
• Blend the flour and curry powder into the drippings thoroughly before adding liquid. Lumpy curry roux means lumpy gravy. Cook it for a minute to toast the flour and bloom the curry.
• Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil toughens the connective tissue in the shanks before it has time to break down into gelatin. Low, barely bubbling heat produces fall-apart meat.
• The shanks are done when the meat pulls away from the bone with no resistance. If you have to tug, give them more time.

Variations

• Red wine version: Swap the white wine for a dry red wine for a darker, more robust gravy with deeper tannin flavors.
• Coconut curry shanks: Replace the water with coconut milk and add a teaspoon of garam masala for a richer, more complex South Asian-style braise.