A Great British Chef's Slow Cooked recipe : Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary

Slow Cooking:  A method for busy people who let the pot do the work. 

How does it work? Throw all the ingredients together in a pot and cook slowly on the stove or in the oven. Slow-cooked recipes often call for a 24h marinade prior to cooking.

Tagine, Casseroles, Stews are all slow-cooked dishes. The advantages of long braises and hours of cooking exceed by far the ease of cooking.

#1: Tougher pieces of meat will go from zero to hero allowing for cheap cuts. These kind of recipes don't call for tender/expensive ingredients as they all cook for hours. It's hardly surprising that the end result will melt in the mouth. 

#2: Flavours are enhanced by the slow process. Cooked this way, food will soften and absorb all the flavours only to bring them out in an harmonious melting pot

#3: No need for oil or fat of any kind, all simmers in the juices. It's an healthy way to cook.

Lamb, beef, pork, mutton all beneficiate from hours of cooking. My best friend always slow-cooks her Christmas goose.  Greek cuisine enjoys a chequered reputation but its Kleftico, individual lamb shanks cooked with lemon and herbs would almost redeem it all.

British Chef, Martin Wishart  wrote his own take of slow-cooked lamb shanks  for Great British Chefs with a succulent Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary. Hope you'll give it a go.

Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary

Ingredients

• 30ml of vegetable oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250ml of red wine
• 2l of chicken stock
• 1 400g tin of chopped tomato
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 150g of unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 tbsp of caster sugar
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• salt

Method 

1. Start on this lamb shank recipe by setting the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When you feel a good heat rising from the pan, season the lamb shanks with salt, then carefully brown each of them on all sides

 

Marinating lamb shanks

To boost the flavour and tenderise the meat even more, marinate the meat in the wine for 24 hours before cooking, draining well and patting the meat dry before sautéing. 

 

2. In a large casserole pot, heat the olive oil. Then add the onion and garlic and gently sauté them until golden brow.

 

3. Pour the red wine into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the wine by two-thirds

 

4. Add the stock, tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaves, bring to a simmer and then add the lamb shanks

Disclaimer: This is a post sponsored by Great British Chefs who authorized the reproduction of the recipe and photo.