Lamb Shanks Braised in Golden Ale

Serves 6

Preparation Time 30 to 40 minutes
Cooking Time 4 to 4 ½ hours
Springtime is a great time to enjoy life, as the days get longer and warmer. It is also a great time of year to enjoy lamb. Here is a beautiful recipe that uses golden ale and lamb shanks. Just remember to plan ahead, because you need to cook it for over four hours.

Ingredients

• 6 frenched lamb shanks (make sure you get some good quality ones from your butcher)
• 2 stubbies golden or amber ale
• 1 1/2 litres stock, chicken or vegetable
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped including the leaves
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 sprigs of rosemary (or 3 generous pinches of dried)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cornflour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Coat shanks with a mixture of black pepper and plain flour.
3. Brown the shanks, in batches, with oil in a large saucepan, for about five minutes.
4. Place shanks into small roasting dish or large casserole dish for the oven.
5. Brown onion and garlic in saucepan, and add to shanks.
6. Add remaining vegetables, Worcestershire, and rosemary to shanks.
7. Add the beer and then put in enough stock to cover the meat.
8. Cover dish and bake in oven for about 4 to 4 ½ hours, or until meat is tender and starting to come away from the bone.
9. Keep shanks covered with liquid during cooking, top up with water if necessary.
10. Remove the shanks and set aside covered in foil.
11. Remove the vegetables by straining the liquid into a saucepan.
12. Boil liquid over high heat until reduced by at least half, stirring constantly.
13. Reduce heat.
14. Mix cornflour with a small amount of cold water and add to gravy.
15. Briefly return to boil, whist stirring.
16. Serve shanks on a bed of mashed potato, topped with the gravy.

If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

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