Jonny69
09-02-2009, 14:11
The casserole pot at Jonny69 Towers is currently in constant use and kept topped up with nice warming red meat stews to help fight off the cold weather. Sunday saw one of those expensive restaurant dishes you see on the menu that is in fact quite cheap and easy to make, and very satisfying; lamb shanks.
http://www.dropfiles.net//files/319/cooking/IMG_3623.JPG
The shank is the cut of meat on the shinbone, typically thick and meaty at one end and tapers down to a point. The meat itself is very lean and tough with a layer of fat on the outside, so it benefits from long slow cooking when it becomes soft and unctuous.
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 large lamb shanks
3 small onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 tablespoons of tomato puree to thicken
1 pint of stock (or 1 pint of boiling water and a lamb or beef stock cube)
1 glass of red wine (optional)
Sprig of rosemary (optional)
Get a large pot and brown the meat on all sides in some olive oil. This is for flavour, important step. Remove from the pan and lightly brown the onions and garlic in the juices, add the carrots and return the meat to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to dissolve all that flavour that's stuck to the bottom. Now cover and allow to simmer for roughly 2 1/2 hours.
If you have a pressure cooker (http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17935414) it will take about 45 minutes with the large weight on top and a medium/low heat underneath. I'm just mastering this great bit of kit and it does amazing casseroles and stock in no time at all :D
By this time the meat should be so soft it will just fall off the bone and the vegetables will have cooked right down to thicken the gravy. Season to taste. If you want to thicken it up mix 3 teaspoons of cornflour with a little water to make a thin paste and add it bit by bit until the desired thickness.
Serve it up with a massive dollop of buttery mash and make sure you mop up that last bit with a big hunk of bread ;)
http://www.dropfiles.net//files/319/cooking/IMG_3623.JPG
The shank is the cut of meat on the shinbone, typically thick and meaty at one end and tapers down to a point. The meat itself is very lean and tough with a layer of fat on the outside, so it benefits from long slow cooking when it becomes soft and unctuous.
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 large lamb shanks
3 small onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 tablespoons of tomato puree to thicken
1 pint of stock (or 1 pint of boiling water and a lamb or beef stock cube)
1 glass of red wine (optional)
Sprig of rosemary (optional)
Get a large pot and brown the meat on all sides in some olive oil. This is for flavour, important step. Remove from the pan and lightly brown the onions and garlic in the juices, add the carrots and return the meat to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to dissolve all that flavour that's stuck to the bottom. Now cover and allow to simmer for roughly 2 1/2 hours.
If you have a pressure cooker (http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17935414) it will take about 45 minutes with the large weight on top and a medium/low heat underneath. I'm just mastering this great bit of kit and it does amazing casseroles and stock in no time at all :D
By this time the meat should be so soft it will just fall off the bone and the vegetables will have cooked right down to thicken the gravy. Season to taste. If you want to thicken it up mix 3 teaspoons of cornflour with a little water to make a thin paste and add it bit by bit until the desired thickness.
Serve it up with a massive dollop of buttery mash and make sure you mop up that last bit with a big hunk of bread ;)