Recipe #18: Australian lamb shank stewed with veal, pork spare ribs, wine & herbs

A hearty, wholesome and comforting stew for a cold winter's night (which is what the weather's been like over here).

Lamb shank is such a lovely meat when stewed; the meat is so tender and just melts in your mouth. I have, in this recipe, combined it with veal and pork spare ribs, prepared exactly the same way as the stew in Recipe #15. Just replace the topside beef with the lamb shank. The bacon can also be omitted. With lamb shanks, the longer you stew, the better. Even a small piece would need at least 2 hours, maybe 3 or more. Just make sure it is simmered very gently.

A note on the veal: as it is a very tender meat, be sure to sauté it properly. The oil must be sufficiently hot, and the meat must be dry. What sautéing, don't overcrowd the meat. Make sure it browns properly so that the moisture and tenderness of the veal is sealed inside.

I have also added potatoes although it isn't necessary as lamb shank is traditionally served with mash.

Ingredients

• Lamb shank
• Strips of pork spare ribs
• Potato
• Carrot
• Mushroom
• Tomato paste
• White onion
• Garlic (whole bulb with top cut off, or entire cloves)
• Bouquet garni comprising dried parsley, thyme and bay leaves
• Dried ground oregano
• Sea-salt
• Cracked pepper
• Plain flour
• Red wine (preferably a good Côtes du Rhône or, even better, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. If affordable, a fine Burgundy that's just about to peak. Wines from renown villages in the Côte de Beaune such as Puligny-Montrachet or Aloxe-Corton would be sublime.)
• Beef stock
• Parsley (fresh)
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation
Refer to Recipe #15.

To Serve
Since I have included potatoes in this stew, I decided to serve with buttered pasta with mushrooms and cracked pepper.

Complement with a soft red Burgundy or Bordeaux. A fine Pomerol would be ideal!

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