Stew! Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Balsamic Vinegar

34 comments

New cook books are great. New cookbooks I won by following the author on twitter are even better! I was delighted to win a copy of Stew! by Genevieve Taylor. I’m a huge fan of a good stew; hearty and comforting, full of warmth and good flavours and often made from inexpensive ingredients.

Genevieve Taylor feels the same way and shares a wide range of recipes in her book Stew! released earlier this year.

Particularly appealing to those wanting inspiring yet frugal recipes, it didn’t take me long to decide which recipe to try first, though I have a feeling we’ll be trying quite a few through the cold winter months to come.

The recipe for lamb shanks with red wine and balsamic vinegar was very straightforward and the results were absolutely delicious. And it was just as frugal as promised, making use of a small pair of lamb shanks from Donald Russell, an inexpensive but perfectly drinkable red wine from Aldi, and an inexpensive bottle of balsamic vinegar.

This is definitely a recipe we’ll make again!

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Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 4-6 lamb shanks (or 1 kg ox cheeks, see below)
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 red onions , cut into wedges through the root
  • 3 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
  • 375 ml red wine
  • 150 ml balsamic vinegar
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Note: We had 2 lamb shanks, so halved all amounts in the recipe above.
Note: We used regular vegetable oil in place of olive oil.
Note: We have also made this recipe again substituting a ox cheeks for the lamb shanks and it worked beautifully. I used a kilo of ox cheeks and the full amounts of everything else. I also allowed an extra hour for cooking, covered and then an additional half an hour uncovered to reduce the sauce a little further at the end. It was absolutely fantastic, just like the lamb shanks.

Instructions

  • Season the flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. On a large plate dust the lamb shanks with the seasoned flour and toss to coat all over.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a heavy-based pan, with a lid, and brown the lamb shanks on all sides. This will take a good few minutes so don’t rush it as the flavour will be greatly improved if the shanks are well browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  • Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, add the onions and allow to soften and colour a little at the edges. Then add the garlic and rosemary and cook for just a minute.
  • Return the lamb shanks to the pan and pour over the red wine and balsamic vinegar.
  • Bring up to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook very slowly for 2 – 2.5 hours. You want the lamb to be so soft it is coming away from the bone. Turn the shanks every now and then to baste them in the juices.
  • Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve with herby mash potatoes.

Delicious…

 

If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote at the end.

Kavita won this copy of Stew! by Genevieve Taylor.

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34 Comments to "Stew! Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Balsamic Vinegar"

  20. Dom at Belleau Kitchen

    firstly let me just say how wonderful that stew looks, I adore lamb shank but rarely cook it, so I am GOING to do this this coming week… looks AMAZING!!!

    … and I want that book!

    … especially with the balsamic vinegar!

  27. Ozzy

    Will be trying this recipe soon! Keep up your excellent work. You have a real talent for writing and your pieces make me feel as if I am right there with you!

  31. Jen

    Not entering the competition as I already have a copy, just wanted to say how bloody brilliant this book is – I bought a copy a couple of months ago and have cooked solidly from it since.

  34. Kavey

    THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

    CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER, MUMMY24, PICKED BY RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR FROM ALL VALID BLOG AND TWITTER ENTRIES.

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