Osso buco's lamb cousin, with soft polenta doing the catching

The Milanese figured out long ago that a shin braised on the bone in tomato makes a sauce nothing else can — the marrow sees to that. This is the same idea run through the lamb paddock: shanks browned hard, then braised low with tomato, white wine and rosemary until the meat leans off the bone, all of it served over a pool of soft, buttery parmesan polenta whose entire purpose in life is catching sauce. It's a Sunday sort of pot that happily cooks on a Tuesday, and the polenta takes less minding than most people fear.

3 hrs 15 mins 2 servings Prep 20 minsCook 2 hrs 55 minsMain CourseItalian

Ingredients

  • 2 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb shanks
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 125ml dry white wine
  • 400g tin crushed tomatoes
  • 375ml chicken stock
  • 500ml milk (for the polenta)
  • 500ml water (for the polenta)
  • 150g polenta (for the polenta)
  • 40g butter (for the polenta)
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated (for the polenta)
  • Salt (for the polenta)

Instructions

For the shanks

Preheat the oven to 160C. Season the shanks generously and brown them well all over in the oil in a heavy casserole, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

2 lamb shanks2 tbsp olive oil

Lower the heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 6 to 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and rosemary for 1 minute and the tomato paste for 1 minute more.

1 onion1 carrot3 cloves garlic2 tbsp tomato paste

Pour in the wine and let it bubble away, scraping the bottom of the pot.

125ml white wine

Add the tomatoes and stock, return the shanks and their juices, and bring to a simmer. Lid on, into the oven for 2 hours.

400g tomatoes375ml chicken stock

Remove the lid and cook 30 minutes more, until the meat is falling from the bone and the sauce has thickened. Pull out the rosemary stalks and season the sauce to taste.

For the polenta

About 45 minutes before the shanks are done, bring the milk and water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan with a good pinch of salt.

500ml milk500ml water

Rain in the polenta, whisking as it goes, then turn the heat right down and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until thick and no longer grainy.

150g polenta

Stir in the butter and parmesan and check the salt.

40g butter40g parmesan

Pool the polenta into wide bowls, sit a shank on each, and spoon the tomato and rosemary sauce generously over the top.

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

What the Bone Brings to the Pot

Osso buco means "bone with a hole", and the hole is the point — the marrow inside slowly seasons the braise in a way no stock cube ever will. A lamb shank works the same magic. It's the animal's lower leg, rich with connective tissue that melts into gelatine over a long, gentle braise, so the tomato sauce finishes glossy and full-bodied rather than thin and acidic. Polenta, not mash, is the traditional landing pad because its loose, buttery texture catches sauce instead of sitting under it. Shanks from Your Farmer® come off lambs raised entirely on pasture — two to the pack in the Share B pack of a pastured lamb share — and you can meet the farmers who raised them.

Swaps and Variations

Red wine instead of white pushes the sauce darker and heartier. A gremolata to finish — lemon zest, garlic and parsley chopped fine — is the classic Milanese touch and cuts the richness beautifully. Instant polenta gets you there in 5 minutes if the night runs short, and creamy mash or even white beans are honourable stand-ins underneath. Forequarter chops braise happily in the same sauce with the oven time trimmed to about 90 minutes.

Storage and Leftovers

The shanks and sauce keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 3 months — reheat gently, covered, with a splash of water. Polenta is a different story: it sets firm in the fridge rather than staying soft, and that's an opportunity. Press leftovers into a container, chill, slice into thick squares and pan-fry them in butter until crisp-edged and golden — then top with the shredded leftover shank and sauce. Some households cook extra polenta on purpose for exactly this.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use instant polenta?

Yes — it cooks in about 5 minutes following the packet ratio, and with enough butter and parmesan it's very good. Traditional polenta has a deeper corn flavour and silkier texture, but instant is a fair weeknight trade.

How do I stop the polenta going lumpy?

Rain it into the simmering liquid in a slow, steady stream while whisking the whole time, then drop the heat right down. Lumps form when polenta hits the liquid in one clump — if you get a few anyway, a firm whisking usually beats them out.

Can I use red wine instead of white?

Yes — the sauce comes out darker and more robust, closer to a classic bistro braise. Both are correct; white keeps the tomato brighter, which is the more traditional osso buco direction.

Should I eat the marrow in the bone?

Absolutely — it's the cook's reward. Coax it out with the tip of a knife and stir it through the sauce or spread it on toast. It's where a lot of the braise's richness comes from.

Can I make the shanks ahead?

Yes — the braise improves overnight. Reheat the shanks gently in their sauce, covered, at 160C for about 30 minutes, and make the polenta fresh just before serving; it doesn't hold well.

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