Tuesday, May 4, 2010

It's slow cooker season

.. well, almost.  It's definitely getting colder.
I love my slow cooker in winter.  It cooks stuff while I'm not home.  Beautiful, tender, meaty stuff.

Lamb shanks are delicious, and surprisingly easy.  They have had a bit of a surge in popularity lately, so I tend to wait until they're on special or they can be pricey!
Just throw the following into your slow cooker: 2-4 lamb shanks (one per person), one large onion (diced and browned in a frypan with a little oil first), 2-3 carrots (cut in half), 2 tsp crushed garlic, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, a few shakes (about 1 Tbsp) of worchestershire sauce and a couple of sprigs of thyme.  Pour over 1 cup of stock (I use vegetable stock, but beef works fine, too.)


Sit it on the cold stovetop, and turn the extractor fan on.  (Trust me, the fan is the easiest way to stop the whole house smelling like casserole for a week.)  Pop the lid on, switch on, low setting, for 4-6 hours.  Walk away.  Stir once if you need to, but the shanks really won't mind if you just leave them.
While you're off doing something else, this happens:

It's a beautiful thing.  The meat is tender, and falls away from the bone.  The juices have all run together to make a delicious gravy.  I'm getting hungry all over again just thinking about how this smells.

Serve with green veges, and mashed potato.

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