Sunday Dinner Recipe | Slow Cooked Sweet Spiced Lamb Shanks

I fancied something different for Sunday dinner today, so when I went to the supermarket yesterday my eye wandered over the lamb section. I then remembered a recipe I had jotted into my iPhone notes that I wanted to try. I had everything the recipe called for apart from lamb and lager (yes! lager).

No prep required as far as marinating goes – which was good because I went out with Cupcake Chen last night and stayed at her house. So I got in today at 4pm and pretty much started cooking. The recipe calls for a solid 2.5 hours in the oven – great time to catch up on my phone calls and wash my hair. Hell I even had dinner before 8pm tonight, that my dears is a first. I’m sitting here at almost 10pm wondering what to do with all this time I’ve gained back. I’m on a #winning streak.

Sweet Spiced Lamb Shanks

Serves 2

1 tbsp groundnut oil

2 small lamb shanks

1 carrots, diced

1 onion (preferably half red onion and half white), roughly chopped

1 garlic cloves, crushed

3 heaped tsp of plain flour

1 tsp chinese five-spice

250ml lager

100ml beef stock

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp tomato purée

1 heaped tsp brown sugar

seasoning (salt and pepper to taste)

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 3.

Heat half of the oil on a stove top in a suitable ovenproof dish and brown the lamb shanks over a high heat until golden on all sides. Remove the lamb from heat.

Set aside.

Add remaining oil to the pan, add the carrots, onion and garlic, and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and five-spice, and fry for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the lager and stock, grab a large whisk and rapidly whisk over a high heat until boiling and a smoother consistency, add the soy sauce, tomato purée, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust if necessary.

Return the lamb to the pan, cover, and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and transfer to oven and cook for 2-2 ½ hours until the lamb is tender and just falling off the bones.

Taste seasoning again before serving.

I served my lamb shanks with roast potatoes, parsnip and nutmeg infused spinach.