Description
Fall-apart tender slow-cooked lamb shanks in a sticky, savory-sweet Asian-fusion glaze with star anise and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 star anise pods
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup beef or lamb stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)
- Sliced green onions or sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season lamb shanks with salt and black pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat and brown the shanks on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Sauté chopped onion in the same pan until soft, then add garlic and ginger briefly until fragrant.
- Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, stock, and star anise, scraping up browned bits.
- Pour mixture over lamb shanks in slow cooker, ensuring they are mostly submerged.
- Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours until lamb is very tender.
- Optional: For a thicker glaze, remove shanks, strain sauce into a saucepan, and simmer with cornstarch slurry until thick and glossy. Spoon over lamb before serving.
- Garnish with sliced green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Swap hoisin sauce for oyster sauce for a deeper savory flavor.
- Add chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
- Use beef shanks if lamb shanks are unavailable; cook time remains the same.
- Add a splash of orange juice or orange peel for a subtle citrus note.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze with sauce for up to 2 months.
- Reheat gently on stovetop or in oven, adding stock or water if sauce has thickened.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main/Meat
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Asian-Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lamb shank with sauce
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
