When I lived in the city you couldn’t tease me with a piece of lamb. Yes, now and then I would enjoy it, but it wasn’t part of our grocery list, if you know what I mean. I’ve always preferred white meat to red, so if you need a chicken recipe – I think I’ve got them all! But now that my husband is farming sheep, I’ve had to teach myself how to make the best of our new farm to table lifestyle.
In the beginning my lamb dishes were flavorless, tough and quite frankly, nothing what lamb should taste or look like. But, if I really put my mind to something (and I’m equipped with the right tools), I can usually conquer any challenge.
Mastering lamb, wasn’t any different.
Over the last few years I’ve learned how to make a lamb stew that always results with guests asking for more. I’ve learned how to cook lamb ribs before roasting them on an open fire, leaving the meat tender, juice and the fat nice and crispy.
But when it came to lamb shanks, I’ve been hesitant.
I’ve heard horror stories of how you can ruin it. How it can end up being tough and inedible. My husband even once refused to pay at a restaurant because of the poor quality of the lamb shank he ordered. So, I didn’t have an easy crowd if that’s what you’re wondering.
When it comes to cooking I’m not much of a recipe follower. I like to color outside the lines and add what my heart desires, my senses tell me and most of all, what I have in the pantry or the fridge.
This recipe was no different.
I searched for various recipes online, but not one of them was right for me. Eventually, I ended up combining about seven recipes into one and the results were amazing! I won’t show you pictures of the clean-eaten bones – but take my word for it – my guests (and picky husband) loved it!
So if you’re looking for a crowd pleaser that will be good enough for your most cherished guests, perfect for your Christmas table or just a nice heart-warming meal over the winter – this is it.
Please let me know how yours turned out!
recipe.
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. You probably have everything in your pantry.
Step 1
For your marinade:
1 tbs Smoked Paprika
1 tbs Dried Oregano
1 tbs Crushed Garlic
1 tbs Apricot Jam (I use my own)
1 tbs Chilli Oil
Olive Oil to Drizzle
Salt & Pepper
4 x Lamb Shanks
Grab a large container and add all the above ingredients including your lamb shanks. Rub the lamb shanks well and marinade over night in the fridge.
Step 2
You will need the following all chopped up.
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper.
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup of Celery
2 Onions (1 if they’re big)
2 Carrots
Turn on your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 220 degrees Celcius. Put you marinaded lamb shanks along with all the above ingredients into a roasting pan. Stash them in the oven for 30 minutes, just to encourage the juices and flavors of the vegetables and spices to mingle.
Step 3
Add all the contents of your roasting dish to your slowcooker/crockpot. Add 500ml of beef stock to the pot. For this step I used a crockpot on the slow cooker setting. I cooked it for eight hours with the air release valve open over low heat. Only after the first four hours did the heavenly scent start to fill my kitchen.
After the eight hours I removed the shanks from the crockpot and placed them back into the roasting dish. I my crockpot on the saute setting to thicken my broth to a nice rich sauce. If you added too much broth you can thicken it with your favorite broth thickening product.
Once the broth is thickened pour it over the lamb shanks and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes on high heat.
Serve with garlic roasted mash and oven roasted veg.
I hope you enjoy!
Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you try it! Let me know how it goes 🙂