Lamb Shanks In Tomato and Vegetable Gravy

Recently lamb shanks were on sale at Tasman Butchers for $5.99 a pack of two.  As a family we've never been able to afford then in our grocery budget.  While they are still an expensive luxury meal for us,  at this great price we can afford to have them a few times a year.

Here's my recipe for a mouth watering tasty meal -

4 lamb shanks

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery - diced

2 teaspoons of dried onion flakes or 1 fresh onion diced 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic crushed

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

600g ( 1 1/2 cans ) of diced tomatoes

300 mls of water

1 1/2 tablespoons of beef stock powder

sprigs of  rosemary

mashed potato and cooked green beans, to serve

1 tablespoon of cornflour ( optional )

Preheat the oven to,160°C.
Dust the shanks lightly with flour. I used a bread bag to do this.

Heat the oil in a large frypan. Brown the shanks for 3-4 minutes each side,. Set aside in a large casserole / lasagne dish.
Saute the carrots, onion celery, garlic and paprika in same pan for 4-5 minutes. Place these ingredients over the shanks.

Add  the tomatoes, , stock powder ( mixed with water ) and rosemary to the large casserole / lasagne dish.
Bake, covered for 3 hours.

Thicken the tomato sauce with cornflour dissolved in a little water if needed 

Serve on a bed of mashed potato with green beans

Serves 4

Dinner is served

I kept the shanks hot in the oven while I thickened the gravy

This recipe can be adapted to use a slow cooker.  I did my lamb shanks in the oven because I don't have a large enough slow cooker for 4 lamb shanks