Lamb Shanks with Red Wine, Rosemary & Bay Leaves

Instant Pot Lamb cooked to a fall off the bone and a meltingly delicious texture in 75 minutes total with only 50 minutes of pressure cooking time.

• 4 lamb shanks – approx. 1.2 – 1.6kg
• 4 – 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 x sprigs of rosemary approx. 15cm long
  
• 4 – 6 fresh bay leaves
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 large brown onion chopped
  
• 2 medium carrots chopped
  
• 2 celery stalks trimmed and chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  
• 1 cup (250ml) red wine
  
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 cup (250ml) beef stock
  
• 1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped parsley (about 15gms)

You can either marinade the lamb shanks in the garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and olive oil overnight, or make this straight up. The flavour really penetrates the meat overnight so this is first prize.
 
Rub the lamb shanks with olive oil and the crushed garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Lay these on a small tray lined with half the rosemary and bay leaves. Top the remainder of the rosemary and bay leaves, cover tightly with cling film and leave them in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to cook, scrape all the herbs and garlic off the shanks and set aside to use again if you wish, or you can prepare a fresh batch.
 
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (adjust to highest setting) and add a splash of olive oil. When it is hot, brown the shanks in 2 batches on all sides turning the meat as you go. As an alternative, brown the meat in a large frying pan.
 
Once brown, remove the shanks (set aside) and drain off the fat from the inner pot.
 
Replace the inner pot and keep the Instant Pot set to Sauté (medium setting), add the onions, carrot and celery and cook until softened – about 6 – 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent them from going brown. Add the tomato paste and the crushed garlic and bay leaves (either scraped off the overnight marinade or fresh)  and cook for about a minute.  As it starts to stick, add the red wine and deglaze the bowl. Allow this to cook down on the same Sauté setting for about 6 minutes until it has reduced by ¾.
 
Add the tin of tomatoes, mix and adjust the seasoning. You will need to add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the rosemary stalks and chopped parsley (either scraped off the overnight marinade or fresh)
 
Add the browned lamb shanks back in along with the stock. Arrange them so that they are submerged in the liquid as much as possible.
 
Close and move the vent up to SEALING position.
 
Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on HIGH (turn off the Keep Warm function) and set it for 50 minutes.
 
Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow a Natural Pressure Release (NPR), which will take around 20 minutes. You will know the pressure has released when the pressure valve has dropped down.
 
Remove the lamb shanks and set aside keeping them warm by covering them with foil. Drain the liquid from the Instant Pot bowl into another large bowl using a sieve. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. A layer of fat will start forming on the surface. Allow a couple of minutes until you can see it separated from the juices. Either use a fat separator or alternatively place a sheet of kitchen paper over the top to absorb this fat layer. Quickly remove and discard. Depending on how fatty the meat was, you will probably need to repeat this 3 more times (a total of 4 x sheets of paper). When you think you have removed most of the fat, pour the cooking juices back into the Instant Pot and set to Sauté (low setting). Cook the juices down for 10 - 12 minutes until they have reduced and thickened slightly. Pour this gravy generously over the shanks when you serve.
 
Serve with mashed potato and any green side you like.