Instant Pot: Hearty Lamb Shanks

So we’re a third into the month of January (already?!) and this is when I resort to stick to my ribs, comforting, slow cooked meals. One dish I made recently was for Hearty Lamb Shanks. This is the perfect meal for the fall and winter. Tender, fall of the bone lamb shanks are pressure cooked in white wine with a melange of carrots, celery and tomato. Served over steamed white rice, this is a meal that’s sure to warm you during these colder months!…

My husband and I don’t usually have lamb, however this meal was a nice change of pace from our usual chicken/pork/beef dinners. I especially liked that this was easy to make since I let the Instant Pot do all the work. Aside from prepping the vegetables, once everything is added to the pot, there’s not much to do. Aside from rice, this would be great served over potatoes, polenta or even pasta…

In your Instant Pot:

Plug in the IP with insert set in place.

Press SAUTE and add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery; cook until softened.

Add the lamb and sear on all sides, until its browned all over. Remove the lamb to a plate.

Add the tomatoes, wine and 2 cups of water to the pot and cook for a minute or two, scraping up all the brown bits in the bottom.

Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves and the lamb on top.

Secure the lid of the IP and ensure the valve is set to SEALING.

Press MANUAL and adjust the time to 55 minutes on HIGH pressure.

The display will reflect ON while the IP comes to pressure. Allow a few minutes for your IP to come to pressure.

Once at pressure, the display will reflect 55 (the number of minutes you initially set) and will begin to countdown to 0 minutes.

When the IP beeps after pressure cooking for 55 minutes, allow your IP to naturally release pressure for 15-20 minutes. While naturally releasing pressure (also known as NPR or NR), the display will reflect numbers counting up from 1. The numbers indicate how many minutes the IP has stopped cooking since it beeped (or how many minutes it has been naturally releasing pressure).  No need to touch your IP while it naturally releases pressure. The pin at the top of your IP will drop when all pressure has been released and it’s safe to open.

Open up your IP when the pin has dropped (allow a few minutes for this to happen).

The lamb should be incredibly tender and falling off the bone. Remove the lamb to a plate, cover it tightly with foil and allow it to rest.

Press SAUTE and cook remaining sauce for 10 minutes to reduce. The lamb will be too tender to slice; serve it warm with sauce spooned over.