SLOW COOKED LAMB SHANKS
Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 celery sticks, finely diced
2 cups of red wine (I used shiraz)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
800g cans chopped tomatoes
2 cups of stock (beef or chicken)
2 tablespoons of parsley (or your herb of choise)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Make sure the lamb shanks are dry, if not pat them dry with a paper towel. Season well with salt & pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe pot on medium/high heat. Add the lamb shanks and fry off each side for approx. 3 mins or until brown. Remove and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the red wine, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, stock and parsley. Stir very well and let cook for 5-10 mins.
Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeeze them in so they are all mostly submerged in the liquid. Place in the oven with the lid on and cook for 2 hours.
Remove from the oven, remove the lid. Stir well and place back in the oven for an extra 30 minutes. At this point the meat should be tender and falling away from the bone. If not just continue to cook for longer, but cover with a lid so the meat doesn’t dry out too much.
Remove from the oven. Serve your slow cooked lamb shanks onto mashed potato, your desired pasta or cauliflower puree. Season well. Add some chopped herbs & parmesan (optional).