Lamb Shanks Cooked With Guinness In Paper Food

STOUT-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large, wide pot over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove lamb shanks and set aside. Pour the excess grease from the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, and tomato paste; continue cooking 5 minutes more.
• Return the lamb shanks to the Dutch oven, and pour in the stout beer and beef broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. While you're waiting for the beer to simmer, use kitchen twine to tie together the thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf into a secure bundle; add to the lamb shanks.
• Once the lamb shanks begin to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is very tender and nearly falling off of the bone, 2 to 3 hours. Stir the lamb occasionally as it cooks, and add water if needed to keep the cooking liquid from becoming too thick. You want the cooking liquid to have reduced into a nice sauce by the time the lamb shanks are done. Stir in the rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove rosemary sprig and herb bundle before serving.

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHANKS BRAISED IN GUINNESS

Steps:

• Lightly coat shanks in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Reserve left over flour mixture.
• In a skillet heat oil.
• Add lamb in batches and cook until browned.
• Transfer to slow cooker.
• Reduce heat and add onions, to pan, cook till softened.
• Add garlic,thyme, bay leaf and reserved flour cook 1-2 minutes stir in tomato paste, mustard, beer & broth.
• Pour over meat.
• Cover and cook on low 10 -12 hours or on high 5 - 6 hours.

LAMB SHANKS COOKED WITH GUINNESS, IN PAPER

Steps:

• Preheat Oven 300F (150C).
• Pat the lamb shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the lamb shanks on all sides. Transfer shanks to a plate. Add onions to the pan, stirring well to coat in the fat, then cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring 2 or 3 times while scraping the bottom of the pan each time.
• Add the carrots, celery and rosemary; cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time. Pour in the beer and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the sugar, mustard and garlic and continue to boil, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes, or until the beer becomes thick and syrupy.
• Meanwhile, remove 4 large strips of zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler and squeeze 1/4 cup (50 mL) juice from the orange. Add the zest and juice to the pan. Continue to cook until the liquid just glazes the onions. Remove from the heat and let it cool. You will have 3 to 4 cups (750 mL to 1 L) onion mixture.
• Cut four, 15 inch (38-cm) squares of parchment paper. Divide the onion mixture among the squares of parchment paper, placing it in the middle of each square. Make sure that each square has a rosemary sprig, an orange zest strip and 2 garlic halves. Stand a lamb shank on top of each (it will lean to one side); pull up the corners of the parchment paper to form a package, tying it with string, around the exposed bone.
• Stand the packages in a Dutch oven or baking dish and bake for 3 hours.
• Remove from the oven and place the packages on warmed plates. Cut the strings but allow each diner to open his or her own package.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Pour the oil in a casserole dish or roasting tray large enough to fit all the shanks. With the pan set over a high heat on the hob, spend a good 10 mins browning the lamb all over.
• Remove the lamb, add the onion and carrot and cook for 10 mins until starting to brown. Stir in the herbs and garlic and cook for a few mins more. Stir in the flour and tomato purée, season well then pour over the wine and stock.
• Return the lamb shanks to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid or tightly with foil and cook in the oven, undisturbed, for 1½-2 hrs until lamb is tender. Remove the lamb from the sauce and set aside.
• Put pan back on the hob and bubble the sauce down for about 15 mins until rich and glossy. Pass through a sieve into a jug. The lamb and sauce can be stored in the fridge for two days or frozen for one month. To serve, reheat the lamb in the sauce, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

LAMB SHANKS IN GUINNESS WITH COUNTRY VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
• Coat lamb with flour and shake off excess; reserve remaining flour.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add lamb to pot in batches and brown well; transfer with tongs to a bowl.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the onions to the pot.
• Sauté the onions until translucent,scraping up any browned bits of lamb, about 5 minutes.
• Add reserved flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.
• Return lamb shanks and any accumulated juices to the pot.
• Add beef broth and the Guinness; cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Add carrots, parsnips and rutabagas to pot and simmer, uncovered, until meat and vegetables are tender and stew thickens slightly, about 40 minutes.
• Spoon fat from surface of stew and serve.
• This can be prepared one day ahead.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Skim off any congealed fat from the surface and rewarm over low heat before serving.