Iron Chef Shellie: Meat

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Showing posts with label Meat - Lamb. Show all posts

Tomato-Braised Lamb Shanks

Comments (14) | Sunday, July 11, 2010

Having looked at recipes for lamb shanks for as long as I've had this blog, I decided it was about time I made them. I picked up 4 for $16 on a trip to the South Melbourne market, as well as a variety of other ingredients I needed to make this recipe.

I chose this recipe as I love tomato based sauces. I probably should have cut the tomatoes a bit smaller though, as Hamsley isn't the world's biggest fan of cooked tomato. However, he thought it was delicious, and happily ate the leftovers.

I started cooking them at about 1pm in the afternoon, and just LOVED the smell coming from the kitchen as they simmered away.

I served the shanks with a creamy, smooth mashed potato. I picked up a drum sift near the markets, and passed my potatoes through it before adding milk and butter.

Tomato-Braised Lamb Shanks

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 french-trimmed lamb shanks (1kg)

1 medium brown onion (150g), sliced thinly

2 medium carrots (240g), chopped finely

2 stalks celery (300g), trimmed, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup (125ml) dry red wine

1 3/4 cups (430ml) beef stock

4 medium tomatoes (600g), chopped coarsely

410g canned crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Heat oil in large saucepan; cook lamb in batches until browned. Remove from pan.

2. Cook onion, carrot, celery and garlic in same heated pan, stirring, until celery softens.

3. Return lamb to pan with wine, stock, fresh and undrained tomatoes, paste and thyme, bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncovered, simmer about 1 hour or until lamb is tender.

Serves 4.

Product Review: Gourmet Pearl Couscous

Comments (5) | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Apologies to Erin who sent me out this Pearl Couscous to me to try last month! I have been meaning to blog about it sooner, but I have been swept off my feet with so many other things, I haven't had a chance to enter the kitchen. But I finally made some time, and cooked up the Pearl Couscous to see what it was all about.

Gabriel Gate's face proudly endorses the couscous. I received some recipes by him that incorporated the couscous; but none of them really took my fancy... sorry Gabriel. I would have tried your minestrone soup recipe if it was 1000000000 degrees in Melbourne when I was cooking.

As you can see, the Pearl Couscous is much much larger than your standard couscous. When I cooked it, I would say it was al dente. It reminded me a bit of pasta just by the texture, but mum said it was like the bubbles found in bubble tea. It was nice and soft, and worked really well with the meatballs.

It did absorb a lot of the sauce, which is good as I find that couscous doesn't really have much flavour to begin with.

I think it would be very interesting in salad for the warmer days coming up in summer on a picnic.

Some facts you might be interested in:

Traditional couscous is about 1mm in diameter when dry. The Pearl Couscous is larger, at about 3mm. The extra surface of the Pearl Couscous allows for more efficient absorption of sauces, stocks and spices than the traditional couscous.

Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous is featured on the menus of famous restaurants like Nobu in New York, and Maha in Melbourne.

Pearl Couscous is made from 100% hard wheat, and is then toasted in an open-flame oven, which gives it a nutty flavour. It cooks in just 10 minutes, and can be enjoyed hot, cold, as a side dish or even as a dessert.

For more information, and recipes by Gabreil Gate, head to: www.blu.net.au

Moroccan Meatballs

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 x 410g cans crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 1/3 cups couscous

1 1/3 cups boiling water

Meatballs

500g lamb mince

1 small brown onion, grated

1 1/2 teaspoons Moroccan spice mix

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 1/2 tablespoons currants

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1. Make meatballs: Combine mince, onion, spice mix, pine nuts, currants and parsley in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on a plate.

2. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches, turning often, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 3 teaspoons of oil, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Return meatballs to pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce reduced slightly. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, place couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate the grains. Spoon couscous into bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce.

Serves 4.

Voila! Bon Appétit!

Nepalese Meatball Curry

Comments (6) | Tuesday, September 8, 2009

For Father's Day this year I cooked dinner for my dad instead of buying him something that would sit around collecting dust or serve no purpose.

I had wanted to try this recipe for a little while now, and Mum suggested I make it for the dinner I was planning to make. Whilst making it was terrified that Dad might not eat it since it contained quite a bit of ginger and coriander, which he dislikes both. I went easy on the chilli since I know he does not like hot stuff, and I would have preferred to serve it with cous cous (which he also despises), but opted for rice just in case... I didn't want to serve him everything he hated in one meal and be disowned!

Luckily he LOVED it. I didn't tell him what was it in, until he was having the leftovers for lunch the next day, and even that didn't even put him off!
It was delicious, nice middle eastern-y style flavours with with the lamb and all the spices. I love meatballs, and this was no exception.

Nepalese Meatball Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
750g lamb mince
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 fresh long red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons stale breadcrumbs
1/4 cup lemon juice

curry sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 cloved garlic, crushed
3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander root and stem mixture
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock

1. Make curry sauce: heat oil in a large saucepan; cook onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, until onion softens. Add coriander mixture and spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add undrained tomatoes and stock, simmer, covered, 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan; cook onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, until onion softened. Cool 10 minutes.

3. Combine the mince; whole egg and yolk, chilli, spices, coriander, breadcrumbs and onion mixture in a large bowl; roll level tablespoons of the lamb mixture into balls.

4. Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook meatballs, in batches, until browned all over.

5. Add meatballs to curry sauce; cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Stir juice into curry off the heat.

Serves 4.

Voila! Bon Appétit!

Souvlaki Wraps with Beetroot Tzatziki

Comments (0) | Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Mid-week cooking took a Greek influence this week. It was my first attempt at Greek food, and I know how much my boy loves a souvlaki, so I thought I'd give this recipe a go.

I had a few issues with the meat not staying on the stick when I was cooking it, so I ended up mixing a egg through the skewer meat I hadn't cooked yet to help bind the ingredients together, and it worked.

Whilst it isn't like any souvlaki you'd get at a souvlaki van/shop, it is still very nice! The tzatziki is the key ingredient and flavour in any souv, so the added flavour of beetroot gives a nice refreshing flavour.
The boy really enjoyed it, and so did the rest of the family. This one is a keeper!

Souvlaki Wraps with Beetroot Tzatziki
Original Recipe by Angela Boggiano; with alterations by Iron Chef Shellie

500g lamb mince
100g feta, crumbled
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
Large handful of parsley finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sunflower oil to brush
Lebanese bread, sliced red onion, lettuce and tomato to serve
Black Swan beetroot tzatziki dip

1. Soak 8 wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the lamb, feta, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, egg in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then mix together with your hands until well combined. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Using wet hands, shape lamb mixture around the skewers. Brush with the oil. Cook over a preheated, oiled char grilled pan in two batches.

4. Serve the souvlaki skewers with Lebanese bread, red onion and lettuce. Garnish with extra parsley and a dollop of beetroot tzatziki.

Voila! Bon Appétit!

Lamb Patties with Beetroot & Tzatziki

Comments (5) | Wednesday, September 10, 2008

I finally made it back into the kitchen for mid-week cooking again, last week I went out with good friends for some good food and good wine.... always a nice combination if you ask me!

So this is the recipe I actually wanted to make last week from a Woman's Weekly cookbook. I don't normally cook from this book as my Donna Hay library has been getting a workout, but I thought I'd mix it up a little.

These were so simple to make and tasted "delish".
Due to ACP taking legal action on fellow bloggers, especially one of my favorites, Not Quite Nigella, I shall not be posting the recipe in case I get a letter in the mail.

What I can tell you is, the lamb patties are a little bit more special with that addition of lemon rind, and a little bit more healthier with grated carrot.
Served on Turkish bread on a bed of cos lettuce, topped with beetroot and Tzatziki, this is a simple dinner or even lunch that everyone can enjoy.

We ate ours like burgers and it was a very messy but delicious experience.

This recipe can be found in the Woman's Weekly Complete Book of Modern Classics.