Spicy Lamb Shanks For The Crockpot Food

SPICED SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Smash up the coriander seeds and dried chile and mix with the dried marjoram. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it in well. Dust the lamb with the flour.
• Heat a thick-bottomed casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat on all sides and then remove from the pan. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onions, chopped rosemary, and a pinch of salt and sweat them until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to reduce to a syrup. Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the anchovies (these really seem to intensify the lamb flavor) and then add the tinned tomatoes, kept whole. Shake the pan and return the lamb to it. Bring to a boil, put on the lid and simmer in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further 1/2 hour. Skim off any fat and taste for seasoning. Finally, stir in a handful of roughly chopped fresh basil, marjoram or flat-leaf parsley.

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Add the broth to your slow cooker.
• Season the lamb shanks with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and rosemary. Place the shanks in your slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 7 hours, until the lamb is very tender.
• When the lamb shanks finish cooking, set the slow cooker to WARM.
• Transfer the cooked lamb shanks to a plate. Strain the cooking liquids into a glass measuring cup, then return the lamb shanks to the slow cooker pan (carefully wipe it with warm moist paper towels if needed) and cover, to keep the meat warm while you thicken the gravy.
• Use a spoon to skim the fat layer off the top of the cooking juices. Pour them into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until almost boiling but not quite, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until liquids are reduced into a rich gravy, 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the lamb shanks to plates, spoon the gravy on top, and serve.

CROCK POT SPICY LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the orange part of the peel from 1 of the oranges . Cut the peel into thin strips (should have about 1/4 cup); set aside. Squeeze the juice from both oranges to make about 2/3 cup. In a small bowl stir together orange juice, broth, cardamom, cumin, salt, turmeric, and pepper. Set aside.
• Place carrots, onions, and garlic in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart crockery cooker. Top with lamb shanks, strips of orange peel, and cinnamon sticks. Pour orange juice mixture over all. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or until lamb pulls easily from the bone.
• When ready to serve, transfer the lamb shanks and vegetables to a serving dish using a slotted spoon. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks. Measure 1 1/2 cups juices; transfer to a small saucepan.
• Combine water and cornstarch; add to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Spoon sauce over lamb and vegetables. Sprinkle with olives and cilantro. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

STICKY SPICED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add 1 tbsp oil to a small, tight-lidded casserole and brown shanks for a couple of mins, turning as you go. Remove and set aside.
• Add remaining oil and onions to the pan and cook for about 10 mins until soft. Add garlic and spices and cook for 4 mins more. Tip in tomatoes and stock, then nestle the shanks back in on their sides. Bring to a boil, cover and put in the oven. Cook for 2 hrs: turn the shanks now and then.
• Remove the lid and stir through the molasses, apricots and figs. Cook, uncovered, for 30 mins more or until the meat is falling away from the bone.
• Remove shanks from the dish and wrap in foil to keep warm. Put the dish back onto the heat and cook down the juices until thick and saucy. Season, then serve the shanks, scattered with coriander, alongside the rice (see 'Goes well with', right).

CROCK POT BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Brown lamb shanks under broiler to remove excess fat.
• Remove shanks from broiler and place in the bottom of crock pot.
• Mix together salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, lemon zest, tomato sauce and red wine.
• Pour over lamb shanks in crock pot.
• Sprinkle chopped onions and drained chickpeas over the top.
• Set crock pot on low for 8-10 hours.
• Serve lamb shanks on rice or couscous.
• Skim sauce of any fat, if serving.

SPICY LAMB SHANKS FOR THE CROCKPOT

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the orange part of the peel from 1 of the oranges . Cut the peel into thin strips (should have about 1/4 cup); set aside. Squeeze the juice from both oranges to make about 2/3 cup.
• In a small bowl stir together orange juice, broth, cardamom, cumin, salt, turmeric, and pepper. Set aside.
• Place carrots, onions and garlic in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart crockery cooker. Top with lamb shanks, strips of orange peel and cinnamon sticks. Pour orange juice mixture over all. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or until lamb pulls easily from the bone.
• When ready to serve, transfer the lamb shanks and vegetables to a serving dish using a slotted spoon. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks. Measure 1 1/2 cups juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine water and cornstarch; add to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Spoon sauce over lamb and vegetables. Sprinkle with olives and cilantro. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
• NOTE: To make it easier to peel onions, place onions in a saucepan with water. Bring to boiling and cook for 30 seconds. Slice off the root ends and squeeze onions from peels.

SLOW-COOKER LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• If you need to preheat your slow cooker then turn it on now. In a large hot frying pan, add half the oil and brown the lamb shanks all over, then transfer them to the slow cooker. This will take you about 10 mins and you may need to do it in batches. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and fry the onion gently until it starts to turn translucent, then stir in the tomato purée and flour and cook for a minute.
• Add the red wine and bring it to a boil, stirring the flour and purée into the wine until you have a smooth sauce around the onion pieces. Tip into the slow cooker. Pour the stock into the same pan and bring it to a boil, then tip into the slow cooker. Add the carrots garlic, bay leaves, thyme and parsley stalks to the slow cooker and put the lid on. Cook on low for eight hours or on high for four hours. Turn the shanks over at some point during the cooking.
• After eight hours the lamb should be tender and starting to fall off the bone. If the sauce is too thin lift out the lamb and carrots and tip the sauce into a pan, boil it rapidly until it starts to thicken before adding the parsley.

CROCK POT LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat oil in pan over medium to high heat and brown lamb shanks on all sides.
• Season lamb shanks with pepper.
• Place sliced onions at bottom of crock pot and put lamb shanks on top drizzled with remaining oil and juices from the pan.
• Place mushrooms and garlic cloves over the top.
• Mix beer, Worcestershire sauce, stock powder, tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme and bay leaf in a bowl.
• Pour mixture over the top of lamb shanks.
• Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours depending on your crock pot.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Serve with vegetables and juices poured over the top of the shanks. I served over wholegrain bread but mashed potatoes would be the best match.

LAMB SHANKS WITH CHICKPEAS & MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain, tip into a saucepan and cover generously with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 45 minutes and drain.
• Heat the oil in a large casserole and brown the lamb all over. Remove and set aside. Pour off most of the fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the dish, add the onions and fry for 8-10 minutes until soft.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C. Mix together the ginger, garlic, chillies, cumin, coriander, pepper and paprika. Add half of this to the onions, tip in the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Put in the lamb and chickpeas, cover generously with water (about 850ml/11⁄2 pints), bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and cook in the oven for 11⁄2-2 hours until the chickpeas are really tender. (You can prepare up to this stage the day before. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Bring back to simmering point before starting step 4.)
• Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining spice mixture, the saffron and cinnamon, carrots, apricots, honey and salt. Cover and return to the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour until the lamb is tender and the vegetables cooked. Scatter the almonds and coriander on top.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Combine the red wine, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper in a small dish. Place the lamb shanks in the crock pot.
• Scatter the remaining ingredients around and on top of the shanks. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Use tongs to reverse the position of the shanks, top to bottom. Reduce the setting to low and cook for an additional 6 hours.
• Using a slotted spoon to transfer the shanks to a serving platter. Skim the fat from the cooking juices, taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
• Pour the juices over the shanks, and serve.