Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks

Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks (1k french trimmed)
• 1/2 cup plain flour (75 grams)
• 2 brown onions (medium 300g chopped)
• 2 carrots (medium 240g chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (250ml)
• 2 cups beef stock (salt reduced 500ml)
• 2 (400 g) tomatoes (canned chopped)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 bouquet garni (see note)

Recipe

• 1 heat half the oil in a large frying pan.
• 2 toss the lamb in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper; shake away excess and cook the lamb over high heat until browned all over; transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker.
• 3 add remaining oil the the same pan and sauté onions, carrots and garlic, stirring, over a medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the onion is starting to soften and then add the tomato paste and cook stirring for a further minute.
• 4 add the wine to the pan, bring to the boil and then stir in stock, undrained tomatoes, sugar and bouquet garni and bring the boil; pour over the lamb in the slow cooker, making sure the lamb is covered by the liquid.
• 5 cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on the low setting or until lamb is soft and fall off the bone (see notes).
• 6 remove the lamb from the slow cooker and cover to keep warm.
• 7 turn the cooker to the high setting, cook uncovered for about 30 minutes or until sauce thicken slightly, removing any fat from the surface.
• 8 serve the lamb with the sauce, instant polenta and steamed green vegetables, if desired.
• 9 suitable to freeze but not to microwave.
• 10 julie's notes - i made this dish simultaneously in two types of slow cookers. it was interesting to see how the low settings differed between them. the cooking varied by about 2 hours, as one cooker had a much lower heat than the other. it is important to keep an eye out, taste as you go and use your own judgement. bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs, usually by leaf, sprig of thyme and parsley stalks, tied together with kitchen string. the bundle is removed at the end of cooking and discarded.