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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I love pork, so it is unusual that my first pork recipe comes at #9 in this blog. Nevertheless, here it is: pork prepared in a way that I have never done before.
The spices are fragrant, aromatic and uplifting: dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend, quite easily obtainable from spice shops; za'atar is Middle-Eastern, perhaps less easy to find in some places, although I think it is readily found if you browse the internet. (There are even recipes to make it.) I bought mine from Oxfam.
I don't know what inspired me to come up with this recipe; it was quite spontaneous. Pork is a very amicable meat, as I would put it, as it goes well with almost anything. It isn't overpowering in flavour, and quite easy to cook in a variety of ways. Depending on how it is cooked and the spices used, it can easily suit all sorts of palates, ranging from extremely spicy or sumptuously rich on one end, to mild and subtle on the other.
Ingredients
- Pork medallions
- Dukkah
- Za'atar
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili flakes
Preparation
Pre-season pork medallions by rubbing olive oil, and salt, followed by a modest amount of dukkah and za'atar. If you've never tried these spices before, start with just a little to get a sense of their flavours and aromas. Allow to sit for a few hours.
Pre-heat griller and when it is hot enough, place pork medallions. I prefer a grilling pan with ridges so that excess juices do not drain away but collect beneath the ridges.
Place rosemary leaves on medallions as they cook and allow pork to turn golden with brown grill lines. Then turn over and allow other side to cook.
When pork is almost fully cooked, toss basil into pan, then quickly remove. Be careful that they aren't overcooked.
To serve
Place pork medallions in serving plate, top with basil, a sprinkle of chili flakes and seal-salt to taste. Then pour excess juice collected from grilling pan. Add more fresh rosemary leaves if desired and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Complement with a light, earthy, aromatic white, such as Gerwutztraminer. Or if you prefer a little contrast, a complex White Burgundy would do well.
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