Lamb shank and a bottle of smooth, luscious red. Happy Saturday indeed.
Saturdays are for entertaining friends … long, lingering lunches or dinners, happy in the knowledge you can sleep in on Sunday.
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This is hearty meal of slow-braised Karoo lamb shank … rich and delicious, cooked until the meat falls off the bone. The recipe was shared by Spier Hotel … it’s comfort food at its best. Serve it with a bottle of Spier Creative Block 3. Subtle, perfumed notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, pomegranate and mulberry are followed by spicy flavours of black pepper and coriander … it’s a silky, rich mouthful.
You’ll need: 30 ml (2 Tblsps) vegetable oil; 4 medium-large lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat; 1 large white onion, diced; 2 large carrots, peeled & finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, finely grated; salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock; 375 ml (1.5 cups) good red wine; 4 large tomatoes, chopped; 30 ml (2 Tblsps) tomato paste; 4 sprigs rosemary; 4 sprigs thyme; 5 bay leaves
To make: Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Heat the oil in a large, wide oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on all sides, then remove from pot and set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and fry over medium heat until softened, then add garlic and cook for one minute. Return the shanks to the pot and season generously with salt and pepper. Add stock, wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot with a lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 ½ – 3 hours, or until the meat starts falling off the bone. Remove shanks from pot and set aside. Discard bay leaves and herbs from the sauce and place pot on stove. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened to your desired consistency. Add the shanks and serve warm with (optionally) herbed pap and vegetables.