Spicy Braised Lamb Shanks

For those who like a bit of spice.....

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Baking Time: 2 hours

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 c. (75mL) all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. (7mL) curry powder

1 tsp. (5mL) ground cinnamon

½ tsp. (2mL) ground allspice

½ tsp. (2mL) salt

6-8 lamb shanks, about 6 lbs. (3 kg) total

1 to 2 tbsp. (15 to 30mL) olive oil

1 c. (250mL) chopped carrots

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

6 garlic cloves, sliced

¼ c. (50mL) cognac or brandy

1 ¼ c. (300mL) dry red wine

2 c. (500mL) chicken broth

5 ½ oz. (156mL) canned tomato paste

Finely grated peel of 1 small orange

1 tsp. (5mL) hot red chili flakes

1 tsp. (5mL) fennel seeds (optional)

1 bay leaf

½ c. (125mL) chopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, stir flour with curry powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Rub shanks well with flour mixture. Set aside remaining flour mixture.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. (15mL) oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, 16-cup (4L) ovenproof saucepan or Dutch Oven. In 2 batches, brown shanks on all sides, from 8-10 minutes, adding more oil, if necessary. Remove shanks as they are browned to a plate.

3. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). After removing shanks from pan, lower burner temperature to medium. Add carrots, onion and garlic to pan. Add more oil if needed. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in any remaining flour mixture. Return shanks to pan. Pour cognac over shanks and onion mixture. Carefully bring a lit match close to onion mixture and ignite.

4. When flames have died out, add 1 cup (250mL) wine, broth, tomato paste, peel, chili flakes, fennel seeds, if using, and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring sauce to a boil, stirring to blend flour-onion mixture with liquid and tomato paste. If shanks are large, you may have to remove 1 or 2 from pan to achieve the blending, then return them to pan.

5. Cover tightly and place in a 350F (180C) oven. Turn shanks every hour and stir sauce until the meat is fork tender, 2 to 3 hours. Fresh, never frozen shanks take 2 hours, while previously frozen shanks may need 3 hours.

6. Remove shanks to a warm platter. Cover with a tent of foil to keep warm. Stir ¼ cup (50mL) wine into sauce to perk up flavour. Unless sauce is thick enough to coat shanks, place saucepan over hot heat and boil sauce, uncovered and stirring often, until reduced enough to thickly coat meat. You will have to stir sauce constantly near end of cooking to prevent it from sticking. Remove and discard bay leaf. Spoon sauce over shanks and sprinkle with coriander if liked.

Make Ahead:

This is a perfect recipe to make ahead as flavours improve with refrigeration. The entire dish can be made 2 days ahead, then covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. To reheat, set saucepan over medium-low heat,. Cover and stir often until piping hot. Or reheat covered and stirring often in a 350F (180C) oven. This dish also freezes beautifully and can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight or in microwave.

Porcupine Meat Balls

I think this is the perfect recipe to start my blog off with, as it is one of my families favourites.

Ingredients:

1 pound mince
1 onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. garlic granules
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. mixed herbs
½ cup long grain rice, uncooked
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cans Tomato Soup

   Mix all ingredients in bowl (except Tomato Soup). Make into meatballs and place on pan with rack (for grease to drip). Brown in oven at 180*C for ½ hour.

   In large pot mix 2 cans Tomato Soup and 2 cans water, and a small handful uncooked rice. Place meatballs in pot and stir just to coat meatballs. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

Serve with mash and veg

Good next day or to freeze.

Introduction

It’s never too late…

I have been around this old world for a lot of years. I have seen many catastrophes and sad times, and just as many weddings, births and happy times. No matter what is going on in the world, there is always one thing that happens… we eat!

Feasts have been made for thousands of years, both in celebration and sadness. In every country there is that one special dish conjured up that lets others know there is happiness or sadness, and the basis of its origins.

This is some of the things I want to explore with you, my followers. I think food is the one thing that we all have in common, but have made it into a chore, instead of a love filled, and enjoyable art.

I will be sharing recipes from world wide places, family favourites and some that are just fun to produce with children and friends. There will be quick meals for families on the go, and cheap recipes for people on tight purse strings.

There are many appliances out there to help make your experience in the kitchen more enjoyable, and in some cases, easier. I will also let you know what I used when I prepared a lot of these recipes.

So, I hope you all enjoy what I have to offer, and enjoy cooking as much as I do.

Wendy :)

A Bit About Me

Hi, my name is Wendy, and I want to tell you about one of my passions, food.

I love reading recipes, using all different utensils, appliances and finding out where recipes originate from. I got a lot of my passion from my Mum and my Grandparents.

My Grandmother had to create dinners all through the war to feed her family on the tight food-stamps they received.

My Grandfather was a baker before, during and after the 1st World War, and was happy to teach me all his 'tricks of the trade'.

So, here I go, starting my written culinary journey and hoping anyone who looks at my blog will follow me and make the journey with me.


Elephant Stew 1 Chopped Elephant (medium) 2 Small Rabbits 10 lbs. Salt 2000 tsp. Accent Cook for 4 days at 400 degrees. This recipe serves about 1500 people. If more servings are desired, add another small rabbit. Use rabbit sparingly, because people usually don't like hare in their stew.
:)

I hope you enjoy the recipes and extras I will be writing about. I plan to enjoy myself, so everyone is more than welcome to join in. The good recipes from many places around the globe, great company that stops in and all the added extra's will hopefully be fun to read over with a hot cuppa in hand, Monday's and Friday's.