On the Table - Father's Day Lamb Shanks

This week in honour of Father’s Day, I’m going to share a few of our favourite meat dishes that you can make for Sunday. My Dad loved meat and his idea of a good meal would include a roast or braai (BBQ). Steak was probably his favourite with roast lamb a close second. In fact, any meat was a treat for him. Roland’s dad was none the better. He always said, ‘It’s not a meal without meat and sausage was not meat’. He grew up on a farm and knew how to dress cattle, sheep and pigs. Both, won’t be with us this year to celebrate Father’s Day. They are dearly missed, and Father’s Day will never be the same again.

Usually, Roland takes responsibility for cooking our roasts especially on special occasions. I think I just like the company in the kitchen really. We love to cook together. We all sit around the kitchen table and have a blast. There’s really nothing like a homecooked meal and nothing else says, ‘Happy Father’s Day’ like a healthy portion of meat. I recently made some lamb shanks in my beloved crockpot and the whole family loved it. It’s really easy to use a crockpot and lamb shanks are perfect for it. The meat just falls of the bone and slow-cooking really allows the flavour to permeate the meat. If you don’t have a crockpot, you could pop it into the oven. This recipe asks for 4 hours on high in the crockpot, so you could pop it into the oven for 2 hours on 160 degrees Celsius. If you love lamb, this recipe will become a family favourite.

It makes a lovely tomato chutney and we like to have it with some pumpkin and some greens. It also goes well with mashed potatoes, rice or some lovely freshly baked bread to soak up all the goodness. Together with a glass of Cabernet or Merlot (red wine), it makes for a luxurious meal. So, gather your ingredients and let’s make this Father’s Day one to remember.

Father’s Day Balsamic Crockpot Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

Instructions

1.      To prepare the lamb shanks, you’re going to need to remove the thin white ‘skin’ if your butcher hasn’t. Use a knife and pull the ‘skin’ as you cut. Be careful not to cut the meat. Be patient and take your time.

Keep the knife at an angle while pulling the 'skin' as you cut. 

Gently remove the 'skin'.

2.      Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste and coat the meat in the flour. I placed the meat in a glass bowl and rubbed the meat with the flour.

Lightly coat meat and dust off access.

3.      In a deep pot, brown the shanks until golden brown on all sides. My pot could only fit in two at a time. Make sure your oil is warm enough; you don’t want it to ‘steam’, just a quick browning on all sides. 

Fry in a deep pot. 

Brown on all sides.

4.      Remove the meat and set aside.

5.      In the same pot, braise your aromatics: chopped onion, green peppers and celery. Braise until onions turn golden brown. Then add your minced garlic and braise for a further 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn the garlic; it will turn bitter.

chopped onions, green peppers, celery, carrots

Braise until translucents

6.      Mix together cumin, coriander and chilli pepper and add to the onion. Braise for a further 30 seconds or so, again, be careful not to burn the spices.

Mix together cumin, coriander and chilli powder.

7.      Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix.

Cook until bubbly. 

8.      Add honey, rosemary, thyme, and balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking.

9.      Add stock or dry white wine and cook until it starts to boil. Remove from heat.

10.     Spread about ¾ of the sauce on the bottom of the crockpot or an ovenproof deep dish.      

   When I make it in the oven, I usually put the whole pot in the oven. (I removed the plastic

   handles lol)

11.     Place the shanks on the sauce pointing the bones upward, then spread the rest of the sauce      over the meat.

Layer meat and sauce in pot. 

12.      Add cut carrots over the top.

Some carrots

13.     Cook the shanks for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. (2 hours at 160 degrees Celsius in the   oven)

14.    When the shanks are cooked, remove from the sauce. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn-starch in a       little cold water. Add mixture to the sauce and mix through. Cook a further 10 minutes. You     could also cook sauce on the stove, it will go faster. Cook until sauce has thickened. 

Remove shanks from the pot.

Carving the meat is always his job, Father's Day or not. 

Served on pumpkin.

Oh soooo good. Yum!

       This is a great recipe to make in the morning while you’re busy with other Father’s Day preparations. I guarantee you, it will become a family favourite. Spoil the fathers in your life this Father’s Day because nothing says, ‘I love you’ like a bit of meat. 

💖Always

Leazille

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Once again, thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you today.