Quick Braised Shank Lamb Ragu Recipe (Pressure Cooker)

This authentic Italian shank lamb ragu has much more flavor and texture than a lamb ragu made with tender ground lamb. The bone and connective tissues add richness to the sauce, creating a creamy consistency and intense aroma. Braised with carrots, onion, and celery, it can be blended with red wine or Marsala. Serve it with pasta, polenta or rice for the ultimate comfort food.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• How to serve it
• Storage
• Equipment
• Top tips
• 📋 Braised Shank Lamb Ragu

Ragu is the Italian word for meat stew, often referring to beef ragu, like the classic Bolognese sauce.

However, this braised lamb ragu is not made with lamb mince but with lamb shoulder or leg shanks.  

The browned lamb breaks down into large chunks of meat, creating a creamy and hearty sauce.

This rich lamb ragù sauce can be paired with chunky pappardelle pasta, polenta or gnocchi.

It is a traditional Italian comforting meal, often served in winter.

Whether you're using lamb shoulder or repurposing a lamb shank, this easy lamb ragu recipe delivers a rich sauce that will surely be a hit with the whole family. 

For more recipes with lamb check: Crown Roast Of Lamb Rosemary And Wine, lamb skewers Arrosticini 

Ingredients

Cuts of lamb

Lamb shoulder and shank are well-suited for such dishes due to their texture, bone content, and flavor profile. 

1. Texture and Tenderness: The meat on parts like the lamb shoulder and shank and the residual meat on a leg of lamb tends to be tougher and more sinewy. This makes it well-suited for long, slow cooking processes, which break down the collagen and tendons, rendering the chunks of lamb meat tender and flavorsome. When this meat is stewed or braised, it becomes soft and shreds easily, ideal for a ragu.
2. Flavor Depth: Bones, like the bone in the leg of lamb or those in the shank and shoulder, contribute significantly to the depth of flavor in dishes. When bones are cooked over time, they release collagen, which enhances the flavor and imparts a rich, velvety texture to the sauce or stew. 
3. Economic and Sustainable: Utilizing every part of the meat, especially the tougher cuts and those around the bones, aligns with a sustainable cooking mindset. Instead of discarding these parts, they can be transformed into delicious dishes like ragu. This approach ensures that nothing goes to waste, making the most of the purchased meat.
4. Adaptability to Pressure Cooking: Given that the tougher meat cuts benefit from a long cooking time, using a pressure cooker is a great way to expedite the process without compromising the flavor and texture. By its nature, the pressure cooker accelerates the breakdown of the fibers in the meat, making it tender in a shorter period.

If you want to know more about lamb meat, what it is called in French and Italian, and how we cook it, you can read the post:

Lamb Cuts (in French and Italian)

Other ingredients

The other ingredient you need are:

• Diced Onion, Carrot, and Celery Stalk (Soffritto): Soffritto is the base for many Italian recipes; it provides a foundational aromatic base that enhances the overall flavor profile.
• Fresh rosemary: Introduces a pine-like freshness, complementing lamb's earthiness and reducing gamey notes.
• Tomato Sauce: Adds tangy sweetness, richness, and vibrant color to the ragu.
• Bay leaf: Adds a subtle herbal aroma that permeates the sauce, adding complexity to the ragu.
• Brown Beef Stock Cube: Imparts additional umami and depth, offering a more robust flavor than salt alone.
• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing, it ensures flavors are released and contributes a subtle fruitiness to the dish.
• Red Wine: Deepens the sauce's flavor, tenderizes the meat, and brings layered complexity with its fruity and tannic notes. You can also use white wine for a more delicate flavour. Wine is optional but highly recommended

Quantities are in the recipe card below.

To find out more about fresh herbs used in Italian cooking, you can read the article:  36 Essential Herbs And Spices Used In Italian Cooking

Instructions

From a leg of lamb, remove the top chunky meat you can cook on the barbecue and keep the bone and the lower part of the meat, which is usually more stringy. 

Remove the excess fat and proceed with making the lamb sauce:

Hint: Once the pasta is ready, it should be seasoned with the sauce immediately. More sauce can be added to the single plates at the table. Read how to cook pasta like an Italian for more information.

How to serve it

The versatility of this rich lamb ragu is truly remarkable.

While it pairs beautifully with pasta, it also complements a variety of other bases, ensuring every serving is a memorable experience.

• Pasta: The marriage of lamb ragu and pasta is a classic. However, the type of pasta you choose can enhance the experience. When serving the lamb ragu with pasta, consider the pasta shape to ensure it clings to every savory morsel of the sauce. Rigatoni, with its ridged exterior and hollow center, makes an excellent choice as it can capture and hold onto the rich ragu. On the other hand, with its broad, flat surface, homemade tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta offers ample space for the sauce to cling, making every bite a harmonious blend of pasta and sauce.
• Polenta: Creamy, soft, and with a slightly grainy texture, polenta is a beautiful contrast to the richness of the ragu. The ragu's meatiness paired with polenta's earthy tones creates a delightful combination.
• Couscous: This light, fluffy grain, with its North African origins, offers a delightful textural counterpoint to the ragu. Its tiny granules soak up the sauce, ensuring a flavorful bite every time.
• Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes serve as a comforting base, where the ragu can nestle into every nook and cranny. The mildness of the potatoes enhances the lamb's depth of flavor.
• Gnocchi alla Romana: Not to be mistaken with the more commonly known potato gnocchi, Gnocchi alla Romana is made with semolina flour, resulting in a smoother, denser texture. These little discs offer a luxurious melt-in-the-mouth experience when served with the ragu.
• Homemade gnocchi: For those looking to elevate their meal for a special occasion, like a cozy wintery Sunday, consider making homemade gnocchi. The soft, pillowy texture of these dumplings, combined with the lamb ragu creates a hearty and heartwarming dish. If you're interested in this pairing, here's a detailed recipe for crafting the perfect homemade gnocchi.

Remember to offer ample Parmesan cheese for topping and some crusty bread to scoop up any leftover lamb ragu from the plate.

Storage

You can store this lamb ragu in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

If the meat was not previously frozen, this lamb ragu keeps well in the freezer. 

I buy a large quantity and share them into small containers to defrost only the needed amount.

When I buy a whole leg of lamb, I cut the upper part of the leg in small chunks to make the barbecued lamb skewers Arrosticini.

I place the remaining bone in a freezer-safe container and the Arrosticini in another.

 I store them in my freezer and defrost the part of the lamb I want to use

Equipment

I make ragu in my WMF Perfect Pressure Cooker ( affiliate link) as it only takes 35 minutes to cook the meat.

It also retains all the flavor of the meat, and if you want to know more about how I use my pressure cooker, you can read about it here: Pressure Cooker.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can simmer the meat for 2 hours.

Top tips

• If you buy a leg of lamb, you can use the leaner meat to make arrosticini and the meat closer to the bone to make this ragu
• The meat remaining on the bone of the leg of lamb is more stringy, and it is best stewed for a long time
• The lamb has to cook for only 35 minutes in the pressure cooker.
• If you are using a normal pan, simmer it with a lid for 2 hrs
• Red wine is optional but highly recommended
• Once the pasta is ready, it should be seasoned with the sauce immediately. More sauce can be added to the single plates at the table.
• Read how to cook pasta like an Italian for more information.

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