Pot-Roasted Lamb

Use a boned leg of lamb for this dish, or the more economical boned shoulder. If you own an electric slow cooker you can put it on low before you leave for work and come home to a superb main course all ready to serve. Recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:

4 pound (2 kg) leg or shoulder of lamb
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
4 carrots, scraped
1 1/2 pound (750 g) new potatoes, scrubbed
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
Stuffing:
8 ounces (250 g) sausage meat
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 clove garlic, crushed

Method:

1. Trim excess fat from the lamb. To make the stuffing, combine the sausage meat, onion, parsley, oregano and garlic and stuff the lamb with the mixture. Secure in place with string or skewers.
2. To cook the lamb, heat the oil in a heavy flameproof casserole or saucepan and brown the lamb all over. Add the vegetables to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the wine or stock. Cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 2 hours, or until the lamb is very tender. The lamb may also be cooked for 2 hours in a moderate oven (350 degrees F/180 degrees C) or in a slow cooker set at the lowest heat for 7 to 8 hours.
3. Serve the lamb sliced, with the cooking juices poured over and accompanied by the vegetables.

Pot-Roasted Pork with Madeira

Serve this for a special occasion. A hand of pork is richly flavored and tender cooked with vegetables and fruity Madeira wine. Recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 hand of pork, skinned and boned
2 ounces (60 g) butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
4 sticks celery, finely chopped
4 ounces (125 g) mushrooms, finely sliced (including stalks)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup Madeira
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Method:

1. Ask the butcher to skin and bone the hand of pork. Remove any fat from the pork. Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole and add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft but not brown, stirring often. Place the pork on top of the vegetables, add the thyme and bay leaf to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the Madeira, cover tightly, and cook over a low heat for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
2. Remove the meat and keep warm. Discard the bay leaf and puree the sauce and vegetables in a blender, or push through a sieve. Slice the meat and arrange on a heated platter. Reheat the sauce to boiling, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, and pour over the meat. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Note: Tiny new potatoes steamed in their skins would be good with this, or your family might like buttered rice or noodles.

Pot-Roasted Veal Shanks

Veal shanks are an economical buy for a family meal. Have them cut in half if you don't have a pot big enough to take them; and don't forget the turnips, they add lovely flavor. Recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons oil (olive for preference)
6 veal shanks
6 small carrots, scraped
6 small onions, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
6 medium potatoes, peeled
3 turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup dry white wine
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy casserole or saucepan. Brown the shanks slowly on all sides (you will have to do this in batches).
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan except the parsley, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender.
3. Remove the shanks and vegetables to a heated serving platter, discarding the bay leaves. Spoon off any fat that is on the surface of the liquid, or blot with absorbent paper towels. If the gravy seems too thin, reduce by rapid boiling to a good consistency, then pour over the meat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.