It seems that just about every casserole or slow-cooker meal contains tomato paste and a can of tomatos and I am really fed up with everything being tomato flavoured. I bought 2 lamb shanks that for once have lots of meat on them and as a change I thought I might try some finely chopped mushrooms and maybe a bit of miso along with the other usual vegetables, herbs and spices and red wine. Do you think this might work, or is there a good reason it's a bad idea? What other suggestions can anyone make? This is for tomorrow night's dinner so I've got a bit of time to nip down to the shops between now and mid-morning tomorrow, which is the latest I must put it on to have them meltingly tender.

Lorna, I saved this recipe for that very reason, but haven't tried it as yet. But not one tomato or sachet of tomato past is included

Thank you Irene. Oranges and prunes, eh? Who would have thought. While I was waiting for a response I had the innovative idea of asking Mr Google if mushrooms and miso went together and lo! Several recipes came up with this combination. Not for lambshanks, but who knows, I might have hit on an original recipe. I'll give it a go and see what happens. Then next time I'll give your oranges and prunes one a go. Thank God for Foodlovers!

Good you got something sorted Lorna. I am not sure about a Tomato Past however (just reread my original post) but with Prunes in a dish, I think something else may well pass - but not a tomato

Irene, for me, tomatoes ARE the past in casseroles, except for the rare occasion!

Lorna, this in NZ Womens weekly newsletter today might fit the bill, if not this time, maybe next time. Sounds good!
[www.foodtolove.co.nz]
Regards,
Dawn.

A little bit of miso won't hurt, it adds umami. Think of it as much the same as Marmite but not quite so concentrated.

Here's a nice non-tomato recipe for lamb shanks:

Lamb Shanks or Neck in Guinness (Jennifer McLagan)

4 lamb shanks
salt and pepper
3 tab veg oil
8 med onions, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
4 large sprigs of rosemary
330 ml Guinness
1 scant tab brown sugar
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 orange

Season shanks and brown in a large casserole in oil over med heat. Transfer to a plate and add onions to pan, stir well and cover, cook 10 min until soft, scraping up residue.

Add carrot, celery and rosemary, cook uncovered 3 min. Add beer and bring to boil, ad sugar, mustard and garlic and boil 10 min until syrupy.

Add 4 large strips of orange zest and juice or orange, cook until reduced and the onions are glazed. You should have 3 - 4 c onion mixture.

Heat oven to 150C. Return shanks to pan and combine with onions. Cover tightly and bake 3 hours.

How about this Lamb Shanks Recipe with a couple of teaspoons of miso paste instead of the tomato paste?

Agree with you Lorna, with everything tomato!!! Please let us know how the shanks turn out

Thank you Dawn. I think in the 'lead' recipe the shanks looked awfully dry, a problem that's not insurmountable, but I do prefer my shanks casserolled rather than baked/roasted. One of the other recipies, Lamb shanks with lentils and pancetta, looks very promising. It has tomato paste but I can sub that for the miso or something else. It will be added to my collection.

TPANDAV, your recipe sounds absolutely delicious and will also be added to the collection. Thank you.

Helen, I will also add your recipe to my Shank Bank. Thank you.

AnnieH, I am making my lamb shanks tonight using my idea of mushrooms and miso. I use miso quite a bit in various recipes for the very reason Helen mentions, the umami factor. I actually have an 'umami bank' too, which has things like miso, tamarind, limes, and various other Asian condiments. Marmite and Vegemite are two things that are not in my bank and probably never will be!

Lorna I think the recipe would be fine as they are covered with two layers of foil for the last two hours of cooking, so they shouldn't dry out. Alternatively you could brown them and casserole them.
Regards,
Dawn.

I cooked my shanks night before last and they were delicious. I found a basic recipe using a method that I liked and then subtracted some of the given ingredients, added some of my own and changed a couple of instructions for the preparation method, so I think I can say I have created my very own version of Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks (sans tomatoes). There was plenty of gravy left at the end so I put it in the fridge overnight, removed the fat next morning and put the sauce in two containers ready to make soup when I feel like it. The soup will need a some fresh veges added to it because the slow cooked ones have just about disintigrated. This is my recipe (for 2 shanks):

Ingredients

½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
1 clove garlic
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 lamb shanks
1 onion, chopped
6-8 button mushrooms
1 stick celery, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 large glass red wine
1 bay leaf
1 stock cube
250ml hot water
2 tablespoons of miso
Extra water if necessary
Potato flakes if necessary

Method

In a small blender, add the rosemary, thyme and sage , a clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until well combined.

With a sharp knife, slash into each shank in 3 or 4 places. Push the herbs into the slashes.
Heat the Fast/Slow cooker using the sear function, then add the oil and brown the shanks evenly all over. Set shanks aside.

Fry the onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots and garlic for several minutes until softened, before adding back the shanks, along with the wine, bay leaf, stock cube dissolved in the hot water, miso and sufficient water to just cover the lamb.

Put on the lid and cook for 6 hours. The sauce should be deliciously thick and glistening. If it's a bit thin, remove the shanks and keep them warm while you add sufficient potato flakes, while stirring, to thicken the gravy.

Hi Lorna, you have probably already cooked your shanks this time but I have a recipe using mushrooms and lamb shanks which I have cooked for at least 20 years, I got from an American cooking show with a chef called Capriel back in the days before celebrity chefs. It is very simple I serve it with Orzo pasta and a green vegetable with shaving of Parmesan for garnish. Having read recent posts on flouring meat before browning you could skip that and just add it before the red wine which I often do anyway. Just make sure it is sprinkled over and well mixed in so you don't get lumps. It has a lovely rich almost slightly sticky sauce.

4 Lamb Shanks
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Seasoned Flour to dredge
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1lb Mushrooms sliced, you can use domestic mushrooms (I usually do) or shiitake, oyster or wild mushrooms
2 cups good lamb or beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
Chopped rosemary and savory (savory is a herb similar to thyme substitute if you like)

Season and dredge the shanks in flour (give them a slap so they only hold as much flour as baby powder on a baby's bottom) and brown in olive oil, remove the shanks and saute the mushrooms and garlic in the same pan, add the red wine, reduce a little then add the stock, return the shanks and chopped herbs, cover and cook in a moderate oven (160) for a couple of hours until very tender. (the original recipe said for 1 hour but that's never enough). I often add a little more of the left over seasoned flour to the cooked mushrooms and garlic before I add the wine which gives a thicker gravy in the end which I like.

I just looked her up on the internet and she's still popular in the States, here's another similar recipe of hers from one of her books. Caprial Pence. I note again she cooks them for only 1 - 1-1/2 hrs which is not enough for our lamb shanks anyway!

Lamb Shanks with Black Cherry Wine Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Bistro-Style Cooking by Caprial Pence

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 shallots, peeled
6 whole cloves garlic
6 (10-12-ounce) lamb shanks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
1 (10-oz.) can beef broth, undiluted
1 (10-oz.) can chicken broth, undiluted
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup dried cherries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2) Place olive oil, shallots, and garlic in a large, heavy roasting pan and roast, covered, until shallots and garlic are soft, about 1 hour.
3) Meanwhile, season lamb shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Set aside.
4) Place roasting pan on a stovetop burner. Add lamb shanks and brown over high heat, about 2 minutes per side. Add wine. Boil over high heat to reduce liquid by half. Add chicken and beef broth, vinegar, cherries and thyme.
5) Return pan to 300 degree F. oven and cook, covered for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
6) Remove pan from oven. Transfer shanks to a large serving platter. Blend cornstarch and water. Bring braising liquid to a boil and add cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened. Strain sauce if desired. Spoon over lamb shanks. Serve hot with polenta or pilaf. Yield: 6 servings.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2019 04:17AM by Danube.

Ive been making Ind*an curries in my slow cooker.
Im just using curry powder too.

I always brown the onions, garlic and chicken, add curry powder, salt, coconut cream and extra water and throw in slow cooker for a couple of hours. I add peas at the last minute.

*Tomato alert* Ive just discovered Empire curries do a butter chicken - this is also great in the slow cooker - with cream and tomato paste - SORRY ;-)
Vanessa

Here's one I like:
Lamb Shanks with Leeks and Wine
3-4 lamb shanks
1 T oil
2 sliced leeks
1 c white wine
2 tsp lamb stock (Maggi used to make this - now I use 1 tsp beef and 1 tsp chicken)
2 tsp crushed garlic
Heat oil in cast iron casserole dish and brown lamb knuckles well. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add leeks and cook on medium heat until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bake @ 170C for 2 - 2 ½ hours.

I made this recipe with lamb shanks tonight. Very tasty, and no tomato in sight. I also made the couscous/peas, must admit I doubled the quantity, but really didn't need it. The lamb was falling off the bones and sticky/gelatinous the way the best slow cooked lamb is! [www.stuff.co.nz]

What about Chicken Marbella ?

[www.foodlovers.co.nz]

I love this dish!

Vanessa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2019 03:01AM by Vanessa45.