Lamb Shanks with Skyr
Lamb shank with Skyr is a lamb shanks recipe shared down the generations in my family! Video and Tips for cooking lamb shanks with skyr.
Ingredients
Lamb:
- 6 lamb shanks - American Lamb
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 grated onions water only--see notes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 onions cut in half
- 2 heads of garlic
- 3 whole cardamoms
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups stock
Skyr Sauce
- 2 cups Icelandic Provisions Traditional Plain Skyr
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ¼ cup fresh dill minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
Garnish
- Fresh parsley and dill
- Pomegranate arils
- Toasted pine nuts
- Cracked Black pepper
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
-
In a large bowl add the lamb shanks and flavoring ingredients (from the top until the olive oil only) and toss well.
-
Spread the lamb in an oven safe baking dish.
-
Add in the whole spices, cut up onions and garlic. Try to squeeze them in the dish and divide them evenly so the flavor spreads evenly as well.
-
Pour the stock over the lamb dish and cover the plate with foil.
-
Roast the shanks until tender--this should take between 100-120 minutes (depending on the size of your lamb shanks).
-
Once ready, remove the foil and if the lamb requires more browning, leave it in the oven for an extra 10 minutes. Note: USDA recommends cooking lamb to a minimum 145 degree internal temperature with a 3 minute rest.
-
In the meantime, make the skyr sauce.
-
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until blended.
-
On a serving plate, spread the skyr.
-
Add the lamb shanks on top and garnish with your choice of garnishes.
-
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Lamb Shanks with Skyr Tips & FAQ’s
- Choose American Lamb for best tasting and freshest lamb.
- Use a large bowl to toss the lamb shanks in the flavoring ingredients well.
- The onion water adds so much flavor without the risk of burning bits of onions in your recipe (which can offer a bitter taste to the lamb).
- Salting the grated onion and letting it sit down for a few minutes before squeezing out the water is optimal.
- The lamb shanks don’t need to marinade, they’re flavorful enough, however you can let them marinade for 2 hours and upto 12.
- Adding whole spice and halved onion and garlic is key to infusing the cooking liquid.
- Skyr sauce can be made ahead of time.
- You can serve this recipe with rice or mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, or a simple salad.
- This plate makes a great holiday dinner option!
Do you need to sear your lamb shanks before cooking?
You can choose to sear the lamb shanks or not in this recipe. Browning on all sides is optional but it can help keep your lamb shanks looking neater and more uniform once cooked if this is important.
If you want less fuss in cooking your lamb shanks then you can leave searing your lamb shanks.
What is skyr
Skyr is a cultured dairy product similar to yogurt but it is not the same. It’s made with lower fat milk, such as skimmed milk. Rennet is also added and the milk curd is reduced down. One cup of skyr uses 4 cups of milk to make.
What is the difference between Skyr and Greek Yogurt?
Skyr and Greek Yogurt may seem as if they are almost the same but there is are key differences between the two.
Greek yogurt is made from fermented, strained yogurt which is what gives it its thickness. It usually takes 3 cups of milk to make 1 cup of Greek yogurt. On the other hand, Skyr is made with specific Skyr cultures and is even more strained than Greek yogurt. It takes 4 cups of milk to make 1 cup of Skyr, making it a thicker, creamier and nutrient dense than Greek yogurt.