Braised Lamb Shanks with Mushrooms and Marsala

Our Instant Pot version of Romano’s Macaroni Grill’s Braised Lamb Shanks with Mushrooms and Marsala. The copycat for the lamb shanks from this popular chain involves cooking the meat under pressure in a mushroom-marsala sauce. It’s a complex meal that’s truly dinner-party worthy. We suggest a Pinot Noir (or several) and maybe a less complexly flavored starter, like our version of Spago’s Butternut Squash Soup on page 50. At the restaurant, the dish is served with buttermilk mashed potatoes. Of course, you can simplify things and use more standard mashed potatoes or Applebee’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes from this book (page 267). However, we do have a great recipe for Leek and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot Bible: The Next Generation.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

more than 2 hours

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

4 servings, baby bella, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, chicken broth, contributed, cornstarch, dinner, dry marsala wine, easy, four 10- to 12-ounce lamb shanks, instant pot lamb recipes, large cremini, main course, mashed potatoes, medium carrot, medium garlic cloves, medium yellow or white onion, modern, more than 2 hours, olive oil, or brown button mushrooms, pressure cook, sauté, stemmed whole fresh sage leaves, table salt, water

Servings

4 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
4 10- to 12-oz. lamb shanks
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
8 large Cremini, Baby Bella, or brown button mushrooms, quartered
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
Mashed potatoes, as needed
Whole fresh sage leaves, stemmed

Instructions

Press Sauté and set to Medium, Normal, or Custom 300°F / 149°C for 20 minutes.
As the pot heats, warm the oil in the insert set in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. Add 2 of the shanks and brown them well on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a nearby large bowl, add the remaining 2 shanks and brown them in the same way before getting them into that bowl.
Add the onion, carrot, and mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and salt until aromatic, about 20 seconds.
Pour in the Marsala wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the insert. Stir in the broth, then return the shanks (and any juices in their bowl) to the pot. Turn the shanks to coat them in the sauce, turn off the Sauté function, and lock the lid onto the pot.
Max Model: Pressure Cook on Max for 35 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.

Other Instant Pot models: Pressure Cook on High for 45 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
When the pot has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal naturally, about 35 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Transfer the shanks to a serving platter or serving plates. Use a flatware tablespoon to skim the surface fat from the liquid in the pot.
Press Sauté and set to Medium, Normal, or Custom 300°F / 149°C. Set the time for 5 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
As the sauce comes to a simmer, whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir this slurry into the simmering sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, less than 1 minute. Turn off the Sauté function and use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) insert to a nearby wire rack to stop the cooking. Cool for a couple of minutes, then ladle the hot vegetable sauce over the shanks to serve alongside mashed potatoes. Garnish the plates with fresh sage leaves.

Notes

Other Pots
Due to the size of lamb shanks, this recipe is not suitable for 3- or 5-quart Instant Pots.
For an 8-quart Instant Pot
Increase all ingredient amounts by 50%.
For a 10-quart Instant Pot
Increase all ingredient amounts by 50%, or double them for larger servings.