Slow roast lamb shank.

I am a big fan of cooking with cheaper cuts and, as I have often mentioned before, I am an even bigger fan of using one of our many excellent Craft Butchers. When cooking with cheaper cuts of meat the general rule is to cook the meat at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Such cooking techniques give beautifully tender meat that simply falls away from the bone. Lamb shank is an excellent example, cooking on the bone adds to the flavour and tenderness. I recently bought two lamb shanks in O’Connell’s at just € 2.99 per shank! To put this great value into perspective I recently noted lamb shank on a restaurant menu for a ridiculous € 25.00, how they could ever justify this is beyond me but needless to say I didn’t wait to find out.

Olive oil
2 lamb shanks
6 shallots, peeled and halved
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary chopped
250ml of vegetable stock
250ml of red wine

Pre heat the oven to 160ºc. In a roasting dish or casserole heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, seal the lamb on all sides allowing the meat to brown slightly. Add the onions, garlic, herbs and fry for a further minute. Pour in the stock and red wine and season. Cover the dish and place in the oven for two hours, turning the lamb half way. Once cooked, remove the shanks and cover with foil. Place the dish on the hob and boil the liquid until reduced by half or until a thicker consistency is reached. Add the lamb shanks and serve. Serving the lamb with mashed potato ensures you get to enjoy the wonderful meaty sauce.

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