Slow Cooked Lamb Shank in Red Wine Marinade

Ingredients:

• 4 Lamb shanks , around 350g
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Black pepper
• 3 tbsp. Olive oil
• 3 Garlic cloves , minced finely
• 2 tbsp. Tomato paste
• 4 Cups Beef stock/broth, low sodium
• 1 Cup water

Red Wine Marinade:

• 1 Small onion , diced finely
• 1 Small carrot , diced finely
• 1 Celery stem , diced finely
• 3 Cups Pinot Noir Red Wine or other dry red wine
• 5 Sprigs of thyme, preferably tied together
• 2 Sub dried bay leaves

Sauce Thickener:

• 6 tsp. Cornflour or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. Water
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter, sliced into 1cm cubes

To Serve:

• Mashed Potato
• Fresh parsley or thyme leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Marinate for 24 hrs – In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the Red Wine Marinade, along with the lamb shanks.

   Tip:Ensure you arrange the shanks as best you can so the meat is submerged in the wine marinade. Cover the bowl with cling paper and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. After 24hours, remove the shanks from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Strain the wine – Reduce the wine by straining it into a large saucepan (leave the shanks, veg & herbs in bowl). Bring the saucepan to a rapid simmer over medium-high, then reduce simmer for 15 minutes until the wine is reduced by half.
4. Sear the lamb shanks – Using paper towels, gently pat the shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. In your Best Duty No.3 Flat Pot, heat 2 tbsp. oil over high heat. Place 2 shanks at a time in the potjie, and sear until browned all over – about 5 minutes. Remove and repeat the process with the other 2 shanks.
5. Sauté aromatics – Carefully drain any excess fat from the potjie and reduce the stove to medium low. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Gently add in the wine-stained vegetables and herbs from the bowl, plus the garlic. Leave to cook for 5 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, then cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Braising liquid – Add the reduced red wine, stock and water then stir using your wooden spoon. Add in the lamb shanks and arrange the meaty ends so that they are submerged into the liquid as best you can.
   Note:If the meaty parts aren’t fully submerged into the liquid, don’t worry. They will shrink as they cook and eventually end up under the liquid. Additionally, the exposed bits get steam-cooked as well!
7. Cook-slow – Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a light simmer. Cover the potjie lid and transfer to the oven for 2 hours and 20 minutes or until the meat is fork-tender and barely holding onto the bone.
8. Carefully remove the cooked lamb shanks from the potjie onto a plate. Cover them loosely with foil to keep warm and moist.
9. Reduce sauce – In a bowl, strain the sauce from the shanks, but do not press the juices out of the vegetables. Pour the sauce back into the potjie and leave to simmer rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat to reduce to more or less 2 cups (500 ml).
   Note: Keep an eye on your potjie towards the end, the sauce reduces fast!
10. Thicken sauce – Mix the cornflour with the water then add to the sauce. If you’re using homemade stock, start with half and add more as needed. Allow the potjie to simmer for at least 2 minutes or until it becomes a thin syrupy consistency.
11. Enrich with butter – Remove the potjie from the stove, add butter then whisk until it melts. You’ll see that the sauce will thicken more.
12. Final season – Taste the sauce and add more salt if preferred.
13. Serve – Place the lamb shanks on mashed potato, then spoon over the sauce! Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme leaves if preferred. Serve and enjoy!

Note:If the lamb shanks have cooled down more than ideal, you can reheat them by covering them in at 150°C.