Clear-Stewed Lamb Shanks with Daikon Radish
冬日暖身清炖羊小腿｜教程超详细适合新手 · northern cuisine
Whenever the temperature drops, this is my go-to lamb dish. Lamb shanks, ribs, or any lamb cuts all work with this method, but bone-in lamb shanks or ribs give a richer result. Good-quality lamb won't taste gamey cooked this plainly — you'll only taste its milky sweetness. The method is extremely simple and doesn't demand much seasoning: if your lamb is good, the dish will be delicious.
Priyanka RamanSoftware engineer by day, South Indian cook by night. My pressure cooker is my personality now. Trying to nail my amma's rasam without shortcuts.Nutrition & allergens
No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- Unknown
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
lamb shank羊小腿
35.27 oz
2.0 piece
1.0 whole
salt盐
to taste
white pepper白胡椒
to taste
0.07 oz
0.5 piece
Techniques you'll use
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
- Blanching (chao shui) ↗
Par-cook in boiling water to clean, tighten, or prep ingredients.
Steps
Lamb shanks stewed until so tender the meat slips off the bone with radish — a true winter essential!
✅ Done when: The finished stew shows lamb falling off the bone and radish cooked meltingly soft.
- 2
Step 2
Thaw the lamb shanks completely (thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or run under lukewarm water).
✅ Done when: The lamb shanks are fully thawed with no frozen spots remaining.
Place the lamb shanks in a pot of cold water and bring it up to a boil to blanch them. Add the white parts of the scallions and the ginger to the water to remove gaminess. (Important: you must start from cold water so all the blood is drawn out!)
✅ Done when: The water gradually comes to a boil with scallion whites and ginger in the pot.
- 4
Step 4
Once the water boils, grayish blood foam will rise to the surface. Skim it off with a spoon — do not just keep boiling, or the meat will reabsorb the off-flavors from the foam.
✅ Done when: The surface of the boiling water is free of skimmable foam.
- 5
Step 5
When little new foam is still forming, turn off the heat and rinse the lamb shanks clean. Rinse with warm water so the meat doesn't contract and toughen from cold shock.
✅ Done when: The lamb shanks are rinsed clean with no blood residue, using warm water.
Place the rinsed lamb shanks into hot water to start stewing, and add the ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns. (The photo shows more peppercorns than usual because mine are mild; use half that amount normally — too much will make the broth bitter.)
✅ Done when: The pot contains lamb shanks in hot water with ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns added.
Once the water boils, reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer gently. I simmered for about an hour and a half. (Different pots take different times; check the tenderness near the end and stop when it's as soft as you like.)
✅ Done when: After about 90 minutes of covered low-heat simmering, the lamb is tender to your liking.
At the one-hour mark, add the daikon radish and season with salt and ground white pepper. Keep the salt light since the broth is meant for drinking. (For softer radish add it earlier, for firmer radish later — softer is recommended; once it absorbs the lamb flavor it may taste even better than the meat.)
✅ Done when: About 60 minutes into the simmer, radish is in the pot and the broth is seasoned to a light saltiness.
- 9
Step 9
Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve!
✅ Done when: Chopped scallions are scattered over the stew, ready to serve.
- 10
Step 10
Stewed until super soft and tender.
✅ Done when: The lamb pulls apart with almost no resistance.
- 11
Step 11
The bone marrow slides right out with one suck — so fragrant!
✅ Done when: The marrow slips easily out of the bones.