Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

With Easter just around the corner I thought I'd stick with tradition and give a recipe for lamb. Most people will probably choose to cook a beautiful leg but I much prefer the more pronounced flavour of the humble shank. While the leg can be cooked pretty quickly, the shank requires a long and slow cook to break down the muscle fibres and become tender. This is also a great dish to serve at a dinner party as you can put it in the oven and forget about it for a few hours while you get on with other things. Try to use a decent red wine here, something that you wouldn't mind drinking. Ali isn't a big fan of lamb so I cooked a beef rib for her instead. It's the perfect substitute as it will work with the flavours and has the same cooking time.

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 Lamb Shanks
2 Onions (chopped)
2 Carrots (chopped)
2 sticks of Celery (chopped)
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs of Thyme
1 bulb of Garlic (cut in half horizontally)
500ml good Red Wine
500ml good Lamb/Beef Stock
1 Tin of Tomatoes
1 Tin of Chickpeas
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

 1. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cassarole over a medium heat. Brown the shanks one at a time and set aside.

2. With all the meat removed add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Season well and cook for 6 or 7 minutes before adding the wine. Scrape up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan before layering the shanks into the pan. Pour in the stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid (or foil) and put into a 150 degree oven for at least 3 hours.

3. The lamb should be tender and almost falling off the bone after 3 hours. Remove it from the pan and allow to rest while you make the gravy. Strain the stock into a fresh saucepan, pushing as much of the vegetables through as possible. Add the chickpeas to the strained stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for about ten minutes before mashing the chickpeas into the sauce. Strain again for a smooth finish and add a little lamb or beef stock if it's too thick.

4. Serve a shank per person on a bed of chive mashed potatoes and some roasted vegetables.

Shepherd's Pie

World Cup, Day 13 - England

Shepherd's Pie

It's been a miserable World Cup for England. Out in the group stages after a miserable three games it looks pretty bleak for our neighbours. I decided to celebrate a classic British dish, the much loved Shepherd's Pie. Although this wouldn't be considered a summer dish we are in Ireland so it has its place in June as well as December.

I posted a recipe for Shepherd's Pie back in October (can be found here) but this is a more basic version. I've stuck with my favourite topping of sweet potatoes. They add more flavour and provide a healthier option than standard potatoes. I also used beef mince as (yet again) I couldn't get my hands on lamb today. 

Serves 2-3

5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
2 Carrots (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
500g Mince Beef (or Lamb)
100ml Red Wine
500ml Beef Stock
2 Bay Leaves
600g Sweet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
pinch of Cayenne Pepper
4 tbsp Milk
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, celery, carrot and chilli. Season and cook for 6-7 minutes to soften. Add the mince, season and brown all over before adding in the wine. Cook for 5-6 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the stock and bay leaves and stir well. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour. 

2. Meanwhile put the chopped sweet potatoes onto a baking dish and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and stir well to ensure everything is coated. Cook in a 180 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and mash with the milk. Check for seasoning.

3. Put the beef mixture into a baking dish and spread around evenly. Top with the mashed sweet potato and spread evenly with a fork. Bake for 20-25 mins at 180 degrees. Enjoy!

Ragu

World Cup, Day 3 - Italy

Ragu

Day 3 of the World Cup. Day 2 proved a shock as Spain were hammered by a fresh looking Dutch side and refereeing errors almost denied Mexico a win. The paella went down a treat with all the family (you can't have paella for two!). Today's menu was more difficult. I love Italian food. I cook Italian several times a week, so what to choose? I settled on a ragu (meat sauce). In Ireland we know this as 'bolognese sauce' but that's just one type of ragu. This is my version - the 'Kinneagh Kitchen Ragu'.

The most important thing with a ragu is a strong meaty flavour. Lamb's liver gives a robustness while the roasted bones raise it another level. I usually add chopped kidney too but somebody raided the butchers before I got there! It's important to let it cook for at least 2 hours to allow all the flavours to develop.

Serves 4

500g Raw Bones (Beef or Lamb)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 small Carrot (finely chopped)
100g Lamb's Liver (diced)
250g Beef Mince
250g Pork Mince
200ml Red Wine (Chianti if possible)
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tin of San Marzano Tomatoes (or good plum tomatoes)
3 ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
50 ml Milk
400g Dried Tagliatelle Pasta
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese to serve

1. Place raw bones onto a baking tray. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 tsp of the oregano. Rub all over the bones and roast in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and carrot. Season well and cook for 7-10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add liver and mince and brown all over. Season and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the tomato puree and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring well.

3. Meanwhile chop the tinned tomatoes and remove any hard tops. Chop off the top of the ripe tomatoes and dice. Add all the tomatoes including the juice from the tin to the pan and bring to the boil. Season and add the roasted bones, the remaining 1 tsp of oregano and bay leaf. Stir well, turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add some boiling water if it gets too dry.

4. Approx. 10 minutes from the end, bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pan. Add approx. 20g of salt and return to the boil before adding the pasta. Stir and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside. Remove the bones and bay leaf from the ragu and add milk. Stir well before tipping in the pasta. Mix everything together before serving with gratings of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top.

Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

To me, there is nothing more flavourful than a slow cooked "cheap" cut of Beef or Pork. Ox Tail, Tongue, Heart, Cheek and Ribs all seem to be making a big comeback along with the usual favourites like Brisket. The only problem with these cuts is that they take alot of cooking to become tender but once you achieve that, to me, the flavour far surpasses even the tenderest Fillet Steak. Don't be put off by long cooking times though, generally they can be cooked with very little intervention.


Beef Ribs are the pinnacle of the "cheap cuts" in my opinion. They have the perfect ratio of bone, fat and meat which creates the most unbelievable flavour and will satisfy anybody. Best of all, Beef Ribs are very cheap and should cost no more than €1.50 per person. The Sauce in this dish really adds to the big flavour of the meat. The mixture of the Red Wine, Garlic and Tomato is a winner with any red meat and works brilliantly with Shanks of Lamb too.


Serves 4


4tbsp Rapeseed Oil
4 Beef Ribs (Rubbed with Salt and Pepper)
2 Carrots (roughly chopped)
2 Celery Sticks (roughly chopped)
2 Onions (roughly chopped)
1 Full Head of Garlic (cut in half horizontally)
1/2 Bottle of Red Wine (I used a Chianti)
500g Tomato Passata
1tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Beef Stock
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve:
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potatoes

Preheat Oven to 140 degress celcius and ensure that your chosen cooking vessel has a tightly fitting lid!

1. Heat the Oil in a Saucepan or Casserole until very hot. Add the seasoned Ribs and brown all over for 5-10 minutes. Add the Carrot, Celery, Onion and Garlic. Season and continue to cook on high heat for 5-7 mins, stirring all the time. 

2. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck on. Add the Passata, Oregano and Bay Leaf, stir well and bring back to the boil. Put on the lid and put into the oven. Cook for approx 5 hours, checking on it every couple of hours and adding a little boiling water if necessary (it shouldn't be!)

3. Remove the Meat, cover in tinfoil and set aside to rest while you finish the sauce. Add some Beef Stock to the Pot (if necessary) and reduce down for about 5 minutes. Put through a sieve and squash through as much of the carrot and garlic as you can. Reduce the strained sauce until you have the desired consistency (i like it a little thick) Check for seasoning and add a little Salt/Pepper if necessary.

4. Serve the Meat on a bed of Mashed Potato with some Roasted Vegetables (Roughly chopped Carrot and Sweet Potato, roasted in some Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Oregano) and pour over the sauce.

Gigi somehow snuck into the pic!