No slow cooker, no casserole dish — just foil, garlic and time

This is the campfire trick moved indoors. Each shank gets sealed in its own foil parcel with smashed garlic, a couple of rosemary sprigs and a splash of stock, then the oven does three hours of quiet work while the parcel bastes the meat in its own steam. Nothing can dry out, because nothing can escape. You unwrap them at the table — carefully, there's a puff of steam with your name on it — and the meat has already left the bone. Two shanks, seven ingredients, one baking tray to wash.

3 hrs 20 mins 2 servings Prep 10 minsCook 3 hrsMain CourseAustralian

Ingredients

  • 2 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb shanks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 125ml beef stock
  • Mashed potato and steamed greens, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160C. Tear four large sheets of foil and stack them into two double-layered squares — one parcel per shank.

Rub the shanks all over with the oil and season them generously with salt and pepper.

2 lamb shanks2 tbsp olive oil

Sit each shank in the middle of a foil square and tuck 2 garlic cloves and 2 rosemary sprigs in against the meat. Cup the foil edges upward and pour half the stock into each parcel.

4 cloves garlic4 sprigs rosemary125ml beef stock

Bring the foil edges together and fold them over tightly to seal, leaving a little air space above the meat so the steam can circulate. Sit the parcels on a baking tray and bake for 3 hours.

Rest the parcels, unopened, for 10 minutes out of the oven.

Open carefully — the steam is fierce — and serve the shanks over mashed potato and greens with all the parcel juices poured over the top.

mashed potatosteamed greens

Appears in

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
From $183.33

Why the Parcel Works

A lamb shank is the animal's lower leg, laced through with connective tissue that needs long, moist heat to melt into tenderness. Usually that means a pot of braising liquid. The foil parcel gets there by a shortcut: it's a sealed mini oven where the shank's own juices and a splash of stock turn to steam, and the steam has nowhere to go but back into the meat. The shank effectively bastes itself for three hours. No pot, no stirring, no checking — and because Your Farmer® lambs grow slowly on pasture, the shank brings real flavour of its own to the parcel rather than borrowing it all from the seasoning. Shanks ride two to the pack in the Share B lamb pack of our grass-fed beef and lamb boxes.

Swaps and Variations

Swap the rosemary for oregano and add a squeeze of lemon to each parcel and you've headed to Greece. A splash of red wine in place of the stock deepens the juices. Thin slices of waxy potato laid under each shank cook in the drippings and come out better than the meat has any right to allow. If foil directly on food bothers you, line each parcel with a sheet of baking paper first — same seal, same result. And when the shank pack has run out, a spare two-pack of shanks keeps this one in the rotation.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftover shank meat keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge — strip it from the bone and store it in the parcel juices so it stays moist. It freezes for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a covered pan with the juices. The leftover move: shred the meat, warm it through with the garlicky juices, and pile it into a toasted roll with a swipe of mustard. If you're wondering whether we bring these to your door, see grass-fed lamb delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use baking paper instead of foil?

Use both — paper against the food, foil outside to hold the seal. Paper alone won't seal tightly enough to trap the steam, and that seal is what makes the method work.

Can I cook the parcels in a barbecue?

Yes — a hooded barbecue running at about 160C with the burners under the parcels off (indirect heat) does the same job in the same time. It's a good summer version that keeps the oven heat out of the house.

Can I put vegetables in the parcel?

Thin slices of waxy potato, carrot chunks or wedges of onion all work — put them under the shank so they cook in the juices. Keep the pieces small; the parcel steams gently, so big chunks may not soften in time.

How do I check they're done without wrecking the parcel?

At 3 hours you're almost always there, but if you want proof, open one parcel at the top fold and twist the bone with tongs — it should turn freely. If not, refold and give it another 30 minutes.

What if my parcel leaks in the oven?

The tray catches it, and the shank will still cook through — you'll just lose some of the juices. Double-layered foil and a firm fold-over seal prevent it; avoid wrapping so tightly that a bone tip punches through.

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