Slow-roasted, satisfying and served on a bed of something comforting, here are five places to get generous portions of this fall-off-the-bone winter dish.

Lamb shank at Lupa Osteria in Durban. Photo supplied.

Abbey Rose (Greyton)

The little Overberg town of Greyton is punching above its weight when it comes to great restaurants. This charming, cosy restaurant serves up magnificent fall-off-the-bone lamb shank (R145). Owners André and Anita Ferreira are very hands-on and have a real talent for comfort food. Also worth a try are the kudu pie and oxtail.

Casalinga Ristorante (Muldersdrift, Johannesburg)

This Italian ristorante serves up a luxurious stinco di agnello arrosto (R185) comprised of slow-roasted lamb shank that’s coated in a glossy reduction infused with vegetables, herb and wine. The dish is then finished off with Nona’s homemade mint sauce and hearty veg. It’s soul-warming and goes down well with a carafe of red wine.

A photo posted by Kgali Molefe (@kgali_m) on Oct 29, 2015 at 1:24pm PDT

Kream (Brooklyn, Pretoria)

The team at Kream is known to serve the homely lamb shank come wintertime. The glamorous restaurant’s version is roasted and braised with paprika, rosemary, red wine and vegetables, and served on garlic-potato mash with cumin-tomato lentils, mint gravy and cooling tzatziki. Enquire with the waiter about the price.

Kream Restaurant. Photo supplied.

Lupa Osteria (Durban North, Durban)

A generous portion of shank is prepared in the roaring wood-fired oven at this popular Italian spot. The lamb is roasted in a gloriously rich sauce of red wine and rosemary until it falls off the bone, and comes served with seasonal veggies and a side of your choice (R170). We highly recommend the wilted spinach with chilli and garlic, polenta fries, or the Tuscan potatoes.

The Wild Fig (Observatory, Cape Town)

The thatched pub and roaring fireplace make this old faithful a winner in winter. Cosy up with their famous lamb shank that’s slowly roasted in red wine until tender. The dish comes served with jus with carrot, celery, onion and fresh herbs and on a bed of creamy herb mash potatoes for R155. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

A photo posted by Rebecca Kaufman (@beccakaufman2) on Feb 11, 2016 at 11:35am PST