Lamb Shanks

[Rusty Long]

Took a look around the site for advice on some lamb shanks. strange that the times are all over the place.

how long do they take at 250F?
I would have thought that they wouldnt take to long as they are small and there is a bone through the middle.

 

[oddegan]

Lamb shanks are absolutely full of flavor but if you cook them wrong they can be the toughest piece of meat you will ever eat. The only way I ever cook them anymore is in the Sous Vide. 140 for 24 to 36 hours. Finish on a screaming hot grill. Best shawarma ever!

 

[tallbm]

Took a look around the site for advice on some lamb shanks. strange that the times are all over the place.

how long do they take at 250F?
I would have thought that they wouldnt take to long as they are small and there is a bone through the middle.

Hi there and welcome!

Well not exactly lamb shanks but when I cook venison shanks in the oven at 325F they take 3hr+ before they are fall off the bone. Also I cooked them braised.

I've never smoked lamb shanks but my attempt at smoking venison shanks turned out poorly. If I did it again I would smoke them for no more than 3 hours and then transfer to a pan with liquid and cover so that they basically steamed/braised up and didn't dry out.

Collagen and connective tissue starts to break up about 190F (so I read) and shanks are FULL of tendon, cartilage, collagen and the stuff you want to break down into amazing flavor. I would imagine you want to take them to 210F or higher and for a significant period of time.

At 250F my guess is you need to go 5+ hours. I wish I had better info to guide you on the cook, the best I can do is guide you on my experiences and my 1 smoked venison shank failure :)

 

[chilerelleno]

One word, 'Braise'.