# Xawaash Braised Lamb Shanks 

Deeply flavorful, fork-tender braised lamb shanks are simmered for three hours in a simple broth flavored with garlic, cilantro, and xawaash spice, cooking down into a thick, glossy gravy.

- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 195 min
- Cuisine: Ethiopian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2 lamb shanks
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon xawaash (see Tip)
- 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large white onion, peeled and diced
- 0.5 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

## Instructions

1. Coat lamb shanks with ½ teaspoon salt and a few cranks of black pepper; set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm up olive oil until it shimmers.
3. When the oil is hot, lightly sear lamb shanks on both sides, about 30 to 60 seconds per side.
4. Add the xawaash, garlic, onion, cilantro and the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt; cover with about 9 cups of water (or until lamb shanks are completely covered).
5. Bring to a boil over high, turn down the heat to medium, cover and cook for 3 hours.
6. Periodically check the water level, adding water as needed to ensure the meat stays submerged for the first two hours of cooking time.
7. When time is up, the meat should be very tender.
8. Gently remove the lamb shanks from the pot and place on a plate.
9. If there is a lot of broth leftover, boil down the excess liquid over high, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until reduced to a glossy gravy.
10. Pour this gravy on top of the lamb shanks.
11. Serve over white rice.

## Equipment

- large pot

## Tips

- To prepare your own xawaash blend, add 8 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant, then stir in 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Makes 4 tablespoons.
- Lamb shanks can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

## Source

- Original video: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025938-xawaash-braised-lamb-shanks
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/b4d42127-6fea-4753-9d33-2ab126e3dd86
- Extracted: 2026-05-10

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt