Pressure cooker lamb shanks in a rich tomato gravy

Use your pressure cooker to prepare these lamb shanks in a rich tomato gravy in no time at all. Lamb shanks are always a popular meat choice, and cooking the vegetables in the same pot creates a delicious and hearty stew that will have everyone asking for seconds.

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Succulent lamb shanks

If you own a pressure cooker then this recipe for lamb shanks is definitely worth trying out. A lamb shank can be quite a tough cut of meat if it’s not cooked properly. This cut of meat comes from the bottom of the leg, just above the ankle, and because it works hard to support the lamb it contains a significant amount of muscle.

However, using a pressure cooker, lamb shanks can be cooked to perfection, resulting in succulent lamb that falls off the bone.

The lamb shanks for this recipe are cooked in a delectable gravy made with red wine and tomato until they are tender. Afterwards, the vegetables are added to the same pot and pressure cooked for a few more minutes until they become fork-tender. The gravy is then thickened to create a mouth-watering dish.

And in less than 45 minutes you’ve created a restaurant-quality dish of succulent lamb shanks in a tasty gravy, surrounded by flavourful and nutritious vegetables. What could be easier?

Of course, you don’t have to pressure cook the vegetables. You could make a dish of mashed potatoes instead, and pile the lamb onto those, along with some freshly steamed vegetables. Just don’t forget to pour copious amounts of the yummy gravy over it all though!

What you will need

Equipment

You will need a pressure cooker. I used my Ninja multi-cooker but you could use any pressure cooker such as this one, or even an older stovetop pressure cooker. A quick word of warning though. I find that the Ninja cooks in less time, so do consult the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking lamb shanks in your own particular model of pressure cooker.

In addition, you will need a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the vegetables.

Ingredients

Unless they are very large, one lamb shank is sufficient for one person. We are 2 people at home, so I made 2. If you are feeding more people allow extra lamb, and also increase the amount of vegetables you add. I did end up with quite a bit of leftover gravy and vegetables, but it was so good I popped it into the freezer to use as a base the next time I make minestrone soup.

**You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making these pressure cooker lamb shanks on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Lamb shanks – depending on the size you will need one lamb shank per person. Larger lamb shanks may feed 2 people.

Onions – these should be peeled, and depending on the size either halved or quartered.

Carrots and potatoes – peeled and cut into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces.

Celery – washed and cut into smallish pieces. If you have any leaves on your celery you can add some of those in as well, they are packed with flavour.

Mushrooms – firm white mushrooms or chestnuts are fine, but if you have larger portobello mushrooms you can use those too. The mushrooms should be cut in half or quarters depending on the size.

Butter – this is used for browning the lamb shanks. I’ve used butter because it adds a richness to the gravy, but you can use sunflower oil if you prefer.

Garlic – because (in my opinion) garlic always improves the flavour of lamb. You can use minced cloves of fresh garlic or for convenience you can use ready-minced garlic from a jar. And if you don’t like garlic you can leave it out altogether.

Tomato puree – you may know it as tomato paste, and it is thick concentrated tomatoes, sold either in a tube or in a tin. I prefer to buy it in a tube because I can reseal it and leave it in the refrigerator, but if you can only get it in a tin, you can pop any leftovers in a plastic bag and freeze them for another recipe.

Red wine – I like to use a full-bodied red wine like a Shiraz or a Pinotage, but it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you cook with wine that you would actually drink. A cheap vinegary plonk isn’t going to improve with cooking! If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can simply substitute the wine with extra stock, or you could substitute it with red grape juice.

Stock – I used vegetable stock cubes because I couldn’t find any lamb stock cubes and I didn’t want to introduce a beef flavour to the dish. You could use chicken stock cubes instead. To make the stock just dissolve the stock cube in a cup of boiling water. You could use a stock pot instead of a stock cube if you prefer.

Cornflour – this is entirely optional – I like to use a little cornflour mixed with water to thicken the gravy. You may find your gravy has thickened sufficiently (thanks to the potatoes), or you may prefer a broth-like consistency.

Salt and pepper – this is for seasoning, and to your own taste.

What to do

There’s not too much to do actually – the pressure cooker does most of the work!

Preparation

Peel and clean all the vegetables and cut them to size. Then set them aside in a bowl of cold water (apart from the mushrooms) while you get on with the lamb. Don’t put the mushrooms in the water or they will soak it up and become soggy.

Pat the lamb with a piece of paper towel to remove any moisture, then season the shanks lightly with salt and pepper.

Thicken the gravy

If you would like to thicken the gravy, use a slotted spoon to remove the lamb shanks and vegetables from the pressure cooker to a serving dish and keep warm.

Make a slurry with the cornflour and a couple of tablespoons of water and stir it into the gravy until the gravy has thickened to your liking. You may not need all the cornflour mixture.

Make sure the pressure cooker is set to the saute (or browning) function so that the cornflour can cook out.

To serve

I like to serve this dish in bowls (a bit like a stew) so that I can fit in lots of the delicious gravy.

If I’m feeling particularly hungry, I might serve it with a green salad, and perhaps a crusty bread roll to mop up every last drop.

Here are a couple of my most popular bread roll recipes you might like to try.

• Portuguese rolls
• German brotchen

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Pressure cooker lamb shanks FAQ

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Other recipes

Perhaps you’d like to try some of my other lamb recipes:

• South African lamb bredie (lamb stew) – succulent lamb ribs and lots of vegetables in a thick rich gravy, cooked in a pressure cooker until the lamb develops a luscious melt-in-the-mouth texture.
• Traditional Lancashire hotpot – Slow-cooked, oven-baked layers of succulent lamb, potatoes and onions, covered with a crispy potato topping. This is the ultimate in comfort food!
• Slow cooker lamb shanks in red wine gravy – meaty lamb shanks slow-cooked to perfection in a delectable red wine gravy.
• Tandoori lamb chops with saag aloo – lamb chops marinated in a spicy yoghurt and lemon marinade, served with a dish of curried spinach and potatoes.

The recipe

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