This is an easy and hearty Italian recipe for those chilly wintery weekends. This is a great alternative to your traditional Sunday roast.
What you need
- Lamb shanks (4 large or 8 small)
- A few tablespoons of plain flour (gluten-free flour is fine)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 brown onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (optional)
- 500 ml of premade stock
- Oregano and thyme (fresh or dried – whichever you have)
- 1 or 2 400-ml cans of tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- A glass of wine (red or white) or 1 bottle or can of beer (gluten-free beer is fine) (optional)
- Rosemary sprigs to garnish
What to do
Coat shanks in flour, salt, and pepper. Brown on moderately high heat for a few minutes on each side using a frying pan on your stovetop. Use your Dutch oven, or a heavy-based casserole dish, or fry in a frying pan and then transfer to your crockpot / slow cooker. Set shanks aside.
Dice the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and thyme. Fry in olive oil in your pot or pan on the stovetop. Fry for five to ten minutes until soft and golden. Add oregano and cook for a further three to five minutes.
Add stock, tomato, tomato paste and wine or beer. Reduce heat and simmer for around 10 more minutes to thicken.
Add the shanks back into the pot and make sure all the meat is covered by the sauce.
Cover with baking paper or foil or place a lid on your pot.
Cook in a moderate (170 C) oven or on high in your slow cooker for 3 or 4 hours. The lamb should be tender and fall away from the bone easily.
Garnish with rosemary sprigs (if desired). Serve with creamy polenta or mashed potato.
