It has turned cold here quickly. I love the Autumnal weather with cool nights and warm days full of sunshine. It was therefore a bit of a shock to the system yesterday when the wind swung from the South and hit us with an arctic blast! I ended up lighting both fires inside and I was glad that I had prepared slow cooked lamb shanks in red wine for dinner. They were perfect for the change in weather that's for sure!
We spent a half day crutching ewes in the shed (that is where they have a hair cut around the head and bottom area in readiness for lambing) so I was back inside at lunchtime ready to get the slow cooker on. We had a guest for dinner and I knew that I wanted to impress and fill tummies on a cold day so this was perfect for the occasion. I knew that there were some farm raised shanks in the freezer but not enough so unfortunately I had to buy some from the butcher. Sacrilege right?!! Well they certainly tasted different to the farm ones. You never know what age your meat is unless you ask. And even then sometimes I don't think you are told the truth! See the photo below. Which ones do you think are proper "lamb" shanks?
Yep, the ones on the far right are from a farm raised hoggett (18 months old technically) while the ones on the left were purchased from a butcher. The moral of the story is to keep the shanks for yourselves and not give them to the dogs!
Anyway, let's get started with the recipe. Head on up to the recipes and blog page for the printable recipes. I used the amount above for 6 people (one shank each is ample).
I coarsely chopped some carrots, celery, onion and garlic and placed it into a sprayed slow cooker (this helps to wash it later). I then placed the shanks on top of this mix and drizzled some olive oil on top.
Next I added two cups of chicken stock, one cup of red wine, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, three tablespoons of tomato paste and a good grind of salt and pepper. I then added some bay leaves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Place the lid on and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Once the shanks are cooked, place on a tray in a warm oven. Ladle some of the sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan and add one tablespoon of flour. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer until it thickens.
Serve the shanks with lashings of buttery mashed potato and some green peas. Green beans would also go well with the shanks.
What is your favourite thing to cook on a cold winters night? Do you use your slow cooker a lot in winter? Have you ever made dessert in your slow cooker?
Let me know if you make the shanks and if you have any dessert ideas. Happy cooking!
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