Italian-Style Lamb Shanks with White Beans
Try this Italian-Style Lamb Shanks with White Beans recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Italian-Style Lamb Shanks with White Beans recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 leaf
- 1 2/3 tablespoons kosher salt (divided)
- 8 ounces cannellini beans (or white northern beans dried)
- 4 lamb shanks (10-ounces each)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (or dry white vermouth)
- 1 medium onion (quartered)
- 2 large carrots (peeled 1 quartered and 1 coarsely chopped)
- 1 small fennel bulb (quartered fronds reserved (optional))
- 1 medium tomato (seeded and chopped)
- black pepper (freshly ground)
- Carbohydrate 8.47200000716181 g
- Cholesterol 7.20000000608652 mg
- Fat 9.63000001612929 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 6.04800000511268 g
- Saturated Fat 1.70244000254222 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (543g)
- Sodium 352.815000298412 mg
- Sugar 8.47200000716181 g
- Trans Fat 0.384390000541274 g
- Calories 146 calories
Step-by-step
- Soak the beans. In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in the water.
- Add the beans and soak at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Rinse and drain.
- Prep the lamb. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
- Cover with aluminum foil and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to 2 hours. The longer they sit, the better. If they sit for 1 hour or less, it can be at room temperature. If they sit for longer than 1 hour, let them do so in the refrigerator.
- Brown the lamb. Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté and adjust to More for high heat. Heat the oil until it shimmers.
- Blot the lamb shanks dry with a paper towel. Add two shanks to the pot and cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Turn over and repeat on the second side. Transfer the shanks to a plate and repeat with the remaining two shanks, transferring them to the plate when browned.
- Add the wine and cook, scraping to get up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer the wine until it reduces by about half.
- Add the bay leaf, onion, garlic, quartered carrot, and fennel (if using) to the pot.
- Transfer the browned shanks to the pot and pour in the stock.
- Lock the lid into place. Select Manual; adjust the pressure to High and the time to 35 minutes.
- After cooking, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
- Strain the sauce into a fat separator or bowl, discarding the vegetables.
- Let the fat rise for 5 minutes or so and then pour the sauce back into the pot, spooning off as much fat as possible if the sauce is in a bowl.
- Add the beans to the pot along with the chopped carrot and tomato. Make sure that the beans are covered by about an inch of liquid. If they are not, add more stock.
- Return the lamb to the pot. Lock the lid into place. Select Manual; adjust the pressure to High and the time to 10 minutes.
- After cooking, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary and seasoning with black pepper. If the beans are too soupy, select Sauté and adjust to Normal for medium heat.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve the beans in bowls, each topped with a lamb shank and sprinkled with the fennel fronds (if using). Enjoy!
While traditional Italian preparations of osso buco rely on cross-cut veal shanks simmered gently on a stovetop for hours, this variation utilizes whole lamb cuts and speeds up the softening process through high-pressure cooking. Transforming tough connective tissue and dry legumes into a tender meal usually demands patience, yet the sealed environment of an electric pressure cooker compresses that timeline significantly without sacrificing texture. Salting the meat in advance acts as a dry brine, drawing moisture to the surface before reabsorbing it to season the interior thoroughly while firming the protein structure.
Managing Dietary Adaptations
Adapting heavy braises to fit specific dietary parameters often requires careful substitution of liquids and fats. White wine adds necessary acidity to cut through rich meat, but dry white vermouth or a splash of white wine vinegar diluted with extra chicken stock functions equally well if alcohol is excluded. Dried cannellini beans yield superior creaminess compared to canned varieties, though soaking them in salted water for at least eight hours remains non-negotiable for proper internal hydration before pressure is applied.
- If the sauce remains too thin after the final pressure cycle, activate the saute function at normal heat to reduce excess liquid.
- Always allow a ten-minute natural pressure release before opening the valve to prevent moisture from violently escaping the meat fibers.
- Straining the braising vegetables before the bean-cooking stage prevents them from turning entirely to mush during the second high-pressure interval.
