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Smoked Lamb Shanks

P pagsMember
The other day I decided I had a taste for lamb shanks so I found a couple recipes I combined and came up with this. Take 2 lamb shanks sprinkled liberally with your favorite barbecue rub (I used Dr. Barbecue's Big Time BBQ Rub although I think a good Greek rub would have tasted great), toss it into the smoker at 250* for 2.5 hrs with a packet of alder pellets and a couple chunks of hickory.

Here are the shanks sitting in the smoker. This picture is partway through the smoke, and they're not ready to pull yet. I forgot to take pictures before I placed them into the smoker.


Take a medium aluminum disposable pan and toss in the following:

1 medium onion (diced)
25 garlic cloves (sliced in half or thirds)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (whole)
1 pint Shitake Mushrooms (halved)
1 package snow peas

Here're the veggies waiting for the lamb shanks.


Sprinkle the veggies with salt, pepper, and a light sprinkling of the barbecue rub. I added one 16 oz. can of Guinness Draft and placed the lamb shanks from the smoker right on top of the vegetables.


Cover the lamb shanks, veggies, et al with aluminum foil and throw the entire mix back into the smoker for 4 hrs still set at 250*.

Here are the lamb shanks after everything has been cooked and the aluminum foil has been removed.


Ready to eat. Just waiting for the garlic bread to come out of the oven.


They turned out great--very moist, flavorful and tender. It was a delicious meal with a light smoke flavor, which is fine for lamb (you don't want to overdo the smoke on lamb).

The nice thing about this recipe is you can adjust the veggies and spices to suit your taste. Green beans would nicely replace the snow peas. May want to toss in some hunks of potatoes. Maybe pearl onions. Try Greek spices. Whatever floats your boat.
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FM Former Member
Pags, thank you for the process and recipe ideas. I have two lamb shanks in my freezer right now. Most stores around here don't even sell lamb shanks (leg and chops are the most common forms), but I found some at Whole Foods. I figured on braising them in my Le Creuset braiser, but I like your idea better.

I would ask how tender they came out, but your last couple of pics pretty much clear that up.

The beer is a great idea.
P pagsMember
Very tender and moist SkipQ. You could probably cut the smoke time by 30 minutes to make it a little more rare. Veggies came out right on. Cooked but not mushy so I wouldn't adjust the pan time. Use that homemade sourdough bread to soak up the juices. I'm hungry.

My store didn't have them in the case, but when I asked, they brought out 12 so I had my pick of the litter. Bought 4, froze 2.
Last edited by pags
FM Former Member
Pags, I tried a variation of your recipe. I pretty much stuck to your process, but I used different vegetables and seasonings. The result was excellent.

I rubbed five lamb shanks with salt, pepper, and CS Chicken Rub then smoked them at 250F with pecan wood for 2.5 hours.

About 45 minutes before they were ready, I cut up two red onions in large chunks and sauteed them for a few minutes in EVOO. I added three whole garlic cloves and two crushed ones at the end, then stirred in my seasonings (oregano, black pepper, cayenne, ground ancho chili powder, sage, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon) and let that roast in the oil a bit. Then I added four tablespoons of flour, some bay leaves, one and a half cups red wine, a cup of reduced beef stock, and a large can of chopped tomatoes. I brought it to a simmer then turned it off.

In a large foil pan, I added several sprigs of fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and fresh basil. I put the smoked shanks on top of the herbs. Then I spread around the shanks a pound and a half of carrots cut into two inch long pieces, and three stalks of celery cut similarly. I was going to add some small red new potatoes, but my pan was pretty full already. Then I poured in my sauce, and added about 3/4's can of Guinness Draught. I covered with foil and put it back in my Amerique at 275 for 4 hours.

The lamb was very tender and savory and had a wonderful smokiness. The vegetables had a perfect firm consistency. It made a lot of sauce, not quite as thick as I'd expected. More flour next time. I served it with white rice.

Thanks again for the idea. I'll definitely do this again.

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