how to slow cook lamb shanks
There’s a chill in the air. I just put on a poncho (admittedly, over a floaty summer dress). And the light has softened in a dreamy Autumnal way. All of which is a flagrant invite to me to haul out my slow cooker and start stewing. I mentioned a few weeks ago that my food focus going forward is to share ways to consume food more consciously. It goes like this: food waste is the biggest environmental havoc-wrecker (it creates more greenhouse emissions than cars and cows) and we – the consumers – are the biggest food wasters. About half of all food produced is tossed out by us. It makes me weep…and get fired up.
Slow cooked lamb shanks: recipe below
If you want to get some great tips on how to conserve your meat better at home, check out the Target100 site. Although, a no-brainer solution is to slow cook your meat. How so? Four birds with the one stone:
* Slow cooking requires you use cheap cuts of meat.
You don’t use sirloin in a slow cooker. You use the tougher and bonier cuts – shanks, neck, shins, cheeks and so on. In other words – the bits most folk don’t buy. And, so, they’re cheaper. Which means you can then make more ethical meat buying decisions (ie pay more for organic and pasture fed).
* Slow cooking gets the most from your meat.
The slower cooking process extracts the juices, the cartilage, the marrow, the minerals – all of which are great for your health. But the bonus is that the entire meal cooks in this nutritional soup – nothing is wasted. Oh, and because it’s slow cooked, less enzymes are destroyed, in both the meat and vegetables. I’ve shared on why we need enzymes in our food before.
* Slow cooking means you can use less meat.
Well, it should. Because so much flavour and goodness is extracted in the process of slow cooking, you can afford to use less meat and bulk the meal with vegetables. I’ll be showing you some clever tricks for doing this over coming months…
* Slow cookers save time and energy and washing up.
Don’t be freaked out by the fact you leave a slow cooker on for up to 8 hours. A slow cooker uses about the same amount of electricity as a light bulb and, so, if you are cooking a full meal, will use less electricity than your oven (bearing in mind we generally only cook part of a meal in the oven). Also, since you leave it on during the day, it’s using power from the grid at a low-demand time.
For more info on efficient slow cookers, CHOICE did a rundown. And for more on why slow cookers are better than pressure cookers, click here.
Some other factors: Slow cookers are one-pot meals (less washing up), can be transported (great for taking to dinner parties) and are cheap to buy.
How to slow cook:
Some quick pointers before we start…
* You can use a heavy-based casserole instead.
No need to buy a special electric slow cooker if you don’t want. You can use a Le Creuset casserole pot or dutch oven on the stove top or in the oven instead. You generally have to add extra liquid if you do (see below) and reduce cooking time from 8 hours (on low) or 4 hours (on high) to 1-2 hours.
* It doesn’t have to be a big one.
I use a 4.5L one. It’s big enough to make 6-8 portions.
* Halve the liquid
If you’re converting a recipe from a standard (oven or stove-top) recipe, halve the amount of juicy stuff and do things like replace some of the chopped tomatoes with tomato paste.
* And if the final product is too runny…
..just add a tablespoon or two of arrowroot or cornflour or chia seeds to thicken it out. Or reserve some of the juices and use for other dishes as a lovely, rich stock.
* Don’t bother browning the meat
Some slow cooker recipes get you to brown the meat (and even the veggies) on a stove top first. I don’t bother – it creates more dishes to wash and really doesn’t add to the flavour. The exception is mince meat.
* Buy organic and pasture-fed meat if possible
Given you’re saving money by slow cooking, think about investing in some organic and pasture-fed meat. When you slow cook, you draw out a lot of nutrients from the bones. I personally like to think I’m not getting a bunch of additives in the mix.
* Adjust your flavour style
Some people think flavours are less intense when using a slow cooker and advise adding all kind of odd ingredients, like chutneys and Worcestershire sauce. Certainly, dried herbs can get a bit bitter, ditto any chilli sauces. I prefer to use good stock or wine and fresh herbs and one bay leaf. And sometimes I add 1/4 teaspoon stevia granules (or sugar) to enrich the flavours a little. Other ideas as you progress and adjust things: a little tamari, Vegemite, Braggs Liquid Aminos…
* Cook in bulk
Slow cookers work best when filled to two-thirds of capacity. If that’s more than you need, freeze the leftovers.
* The order matters
Put your densest veggies on the bottom. Place your meat on top of the veggies. Sauces over the top of that. Soft veg, like zucchini and peas should be added in the last 30 minutes. Ditto dairy and seafood.
* Soak and cook beans
Soak (overnight) and boil legumes for at least 10 minutes beforehand to destroy toxins that will otherwise survive the lower temperatures of a slow cooker.
* Get a cooker with a timer
I don’t have one such cooker. But wish I did. This means you can whack things in, press low and it will stop cooking at 8 hours. It will still be hot, even if you do a 12-hour stint in the office.
* Don’t check on the pot once it’s started cooking
You’ll only extend the cooking time if you lift the lid and let moisture and heat escape. If you have to open it (to add ingredients), whack it on high for 20 minutes.
And now for a recipe I kind of fiddled into existence. That’s the thing with slow cooking…it’s really very hard to stuff up. For extra measure, I’ve provided as many options for things so you don’t have to feel that you must buy new ingredients from scratch.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with lemon and cinnamon
Serves: 4-6*
- 1 large brown onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped into 1.5cm chunks
- 2 celery stalks, chopped into 1.5cm chunks (reserve the leaves – you’ll add them later)
- 4-6 lamb shanks (about 1.5kg)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup beef bone broth (or use beef stock or one cup of water with some stock powder)
- 1/4 cup red wine (or use white wine or just a dash of apple cider vinegar or extra stock)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste**
- 1 bay leaf
- a few sprigs of thyme or a good dash of dried thyme (or whatever you have)
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia granules or sugar (optional)
At the last minute I decided to add the following (but you don’t have to):
- 3 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon (or you could use finely grated lemon rind)
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Put onion, carrot and celery in the slow-cooker (I use a 4.5 L one and it’s big enough for the above). Arrange the shanks on top then place the remaining ingredients over the lot. Stir a little (no need to mix completely). Put on the lid then cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
In the final 20 minutes, add the celery leaves. Serve with some extra preserved lemon on top, the gremolata below, and with your choice of: mashed potato, polenta, steamed broccolini, broccoli or zucchini.
You can also make an optional gremolata to serve on top:
gremolata recipe
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tsp garlic, very finely chopped
- Grated zest of 1 small lemon or 1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Combine all ingredients and set aside ready to serve.
* I cooked 4 shanks for this recipes, but they were super big. So I ate 2 with a mate, then pulled the meat off the remaining two and divided the rest of the dish into 4 portions for lunch.
** I freeze any tomato paste I don’t use in the punnet or jar as I use it so rarely.
If you’re after some more slow-cooked recipes, check out this slow-cooked beef and coconut curry recipe, plus a few more.
Have any additional slow cooking tips to share with everyone?? Or questions??
Slow cooker and the blender are the the 2 best kitchen items! Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to some more of your ‘simple home’ blogs too
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March 19th, 2013 at 11:16 am
agree!
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I love love love my slow cooker and cooked osso bucco yesterday – well it cooked while I was at work. It’s a pity that lamb shanks are ‘in’ and cost far too much for the type of meat they are. Cheaper? Not lamb shanks.
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I buy lamb necks and chicken drumsticks and marylands for my single thrifty girl kitchen and use lentils or quinoa to bulk out meals.
My slow cooker is a circa-1980 model that was given to me by a work colleague for free as it was in his garage and his family hadn’t used it for years!! It’s fabulous!
It’s 5 degrees in Canberra this morning – bring on the slow food!!!
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March 19th, 2013 at 9:27 am
Lentils are great to bulk out meaty dishes like this. I use them too. Haven’t tried quinoa though.
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Our slow cooker doesn’t have a timer either, so we just use one of these timer plugs:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_hpm-plugin-timer-easy-set-go-d8192_P7053911.aspx?filter=categoryname–Timers
Works fine! (and you can use them for heaters too).
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March 19th, 2013 at 11:16 am
Great share!
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March 20th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
That’s gold!
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I’ve been wanting to try lamb shanks after stopping being a vegetarian. Thanks for the recipe. I love using my slow cooker and coming home to a ready-made meal.
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March 19th, 2013 at 11:17 am
I’m glad I’m part of your conversion!
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“* Don’t bother browning the meat
Some slow cooker recipes get you to brown the meat (and even the veggies) on a stove top first. I don’t bother – it creates more dishes to wash and really doesn’t add to the flavour. The exception is mince meat.”
Hey what about chicken – I feel I should always bring all the ingredients to a simmer in a separate pan before putting it in my slow cooker – esp after a friend told me she was really ill after trying to cook a chicken in a slow cooker …
Thoughts … ?
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March 19th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Good question seeker. I tried to get some info on this when I was pregnant, but couldn’t get a definitive answer, so I avoided chicken in the slow cooker during that time because it wasn’t worth the risk. I would love to know if tests have been done on temperature/bacteria levels of chicken in the slow cooker.
Now I just put it straight in, raw, onto the high setting. I haven’t been sick from it, but I never pick bits out as it cooks like I do with vego slow cooker meals.
I probably should add I’ve never tried a whole chook in the slow cooker – I’ve only done pieces.
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March 19th, 2013 at 1:43 pm
good tip on the picking kay! i can resist opening the lid to taste, but i have to keep an eye on the man! he’s a divil for it – slowin’ down my cooking process!
yes ive only ever done chicken pieces too … and i aint takin’ any chances! i’ll do the extra washing up, me no complain!!
i think its worth noting for slow cooker newbies tho … be good to hear what those in the know, know!
‘sall …
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March 19th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Sarah posted an amazing chicken stock recipe a while back which involves poaching a whole chicken in the slower cooker. No need to brown first. Tastes sensational. Has never made me ill (and I’ve prob made it 7 or 8 times now).
http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/03/how-to-make-chicken-stock-and-my-mums-chicken-soup/
March 20th, 2013 at 7:44 am
Hey thanks for replying Kirrilee, I had a look at that but cant find where she mentions the slow cooker – she’s making it in a soup pot here and bringing it to a boil first, non?!
So how do you make yours in the slow cooker? Does it come to a boil fairly fast in there if you put it on high? I’ve never been brave enough to try a whole chicken! (My concern is not about browning it, more the length of time it would take to get it to boiling point and if there’s anything to be concerned about with that). Probably nothing to be concerned about at all, I’m just a bit cautious with chicken!
Thanks a mill,
xo
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March 20th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
I think it’s mentioned in the recipe that you can use a slower cooker pot instead. That’s what I use. Follow the recipe though make sure you don’t overfill the slow cooker pot (I fill it up with water to about an inch below the top). I keep it on low or auto for 8 hours… it takes a few hours to get to the boil (if you’re curious make it on a day you’re at home to check).
Browning chicken isn’t going to get rid of all the bacteria anyway (esp if it’s still raw on the inside. You’ll get salmonella poisoning from raw chicken).
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March 21st, 2013 at 4:46 pm
thanks Kirrilee!
yeah not worried about browning, just the slow boil(and what can multiply in the chicken during that time) in a slow cooker as opposed to a fast boil in a stovetop pot and then a long simmer time, the latter seems safer. but if YOU take it to a slow cooker slow boil on low and haven’t been sick, then i guess its all in my mind, it’s fine that way (or else you’re just a lucky so and so!!)
thanks for taking the time to reply with tips! am grateful! xo
I like the idea of using a slow cooker but I have not had much success with mine. I have tried a beef stew and corned beef both have been horrible and tough. Not sure what I did wrong.
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March 19th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
the wrong recipe?
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March 20th, 2013 at 11:04 am
I always cook corned beef in the slow cooker. Pop in a chopped onion, a couple of cloves and peppercorns and a dash of cider vinegar fill with water. Put on low and let it go all day. The trick to super juicy leftover meat is to leave it to cool in the slow cooker & water overnight & pop it in the fridge in the morning. Lovely juicy leftover corned beef guaranteed!
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I love autumn. Looking forward to cooler evenings and slow cooker weather. Unforntuately every time Perth looks to be finally cooling down from this hideous heat, it gives a few days respite then ramps up again.
I am glad you posted this recipe, I was drooling over the Facebook pic and hoping you would include it! How about a little vinegar in the recipe, to draw minerals out of the bones? Would that ruin the flavor or enhance it, do you think?
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I can recommend the Rendang Daging recipe from Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian cookbook.(brilliant book) Very slow, so aromatic you can smell it down the street. One of my friends calls it the ‘unattractive looking dish that tastes really good” !
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This looks ah-mazing. I have never been able to master lamb shanks so very keen to try this recipe!! Autumn is certainly the time of year to get it cooking. YUM
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Bummer, can’t see the Choice reviews!
I’ve been on the search for a good slow cooker lately, not sure what to go for.
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March 21st, 2013 at 4:17 pm
I’m a member with Choice. There will be a lot you can’t access unless you join.
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sarah – great post – what brand do you use – i see the photo is a $69 Sunbeam
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Great tip on the tomato paste – Thank You !! Love learning that I am able to freeze so many things to save on waste
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Hello, I live in regional WA and have some problems buying certain ingredients. Does any one know where to buy vanilla powder in WA. Local health food shops (2) didn’t know of this product, didn’t know of rice malt syrup & a few other items. The local Coles have stocked up a little on health food products, so that’s good. I’d like to support small business so I may have to send them a link on the IQS wesite! Regards, Jenny
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April 8th, 2013 at 12:23 am
Both Coles and woollies have rice malt syrup in their health food sections, I lived in a town in WA where they were my only choices so a lot of ingredients used in the iqs cookbook I sourced online, Eco foods has everything and are a WA company.
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Gosh, I just love gremolata and lamb, it’s a match made in heaven. Love the touch of preserved lemon. Can even add salted capers and/or anchovies omitting the salt.
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I was lucky enough to inherit an original ‘Crock Pot’ from my grandfather a few years ago. Best thing ever! Cannot wait to start getting into some shanks, casseroles and mini roasts
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[...] Recipe adapted from Sarah Wilson [...]
Made these for dinner tonight and all that was left was a pile of bones
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Hi Babe,
You’re looking good & healthy!
GOOGLE: Oxycholestrol. A study by Zhen-Yu Chen, Ph.D. of Chinese University of Hong Kong shows that:
“Oxycholestrol boosts total Cholesterol levels and promotes Arteriosclerosis”!
Never use a frying pan!
The slow cooker is the best means of cooking!
Purchase, DEEP NUTRITION by Catherine Shanahan MD. (mind blowing)!
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[...] few weeks back I shared my recipe for slow cooked lamb shanks with lemon and cinnamon. Have you tried it yet? Today, I’m getting slippery swift ‘n’ efficient and [...]
Sarah, the article comparing slow cookers to pressure cookers does not recommend one over the other and in fact the writer leans towards getting a pressure cooker by the end of the article. Could you please direct me to info on why high temperatures ‘denature’ food more than low slow cooking? (I’d have thought the end result is the same and cooking itself ‘denatures’ food to a degree, so I am very interested to read the distinction between the two methods.)
Many thanks
Anna
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I retired my retro orange crockpot last year after becoming aware of the possibilities of lead leaching into the food from the glaze of the crockpot. Am now searching for a lead freereplacement. There are some clay ones around which look good but they seem fragile and I need something sturdy. Anyone have any suggestions??
Emma
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