Kevin's Winter Frozen Italian Lamb Shank

This was a strange surprise success. When we go upstate for the weekend we are often faced with cold barn and some frozen meat from the freezer. This slow cook method helps heat the barn and gives you an awesome Italian meal, worthy of any dinner party, straight from frozen. The beauty of the dish is firstly, the meat being completely fresh and tender, and secondly, the fat lamb juice flowing into the acidic tomato/wine sauce. The resultant sauce is the standard fat cut with acid winning combination, with the sliced lamb being added back and served with gnocchi.

INGREDIENTS

- One large lamb shank, frozen. (Shout out to organic, family run Sky Farms in Ancram!)

- Two teaspoons of butter, a lug of olive oil, salt, pepper, tablespoon herb de provence / Italian seasoning.

- Three large garlic bulbs, crushed and chopped.

- Very large can of tomatoes, crushed.

- Half a jar of pasta sauce (choose your favourite brand).

- Half a bottle of hearty red wine.

- Packet of gnocchi.

METHOD

- Put oven on 300F.

- Mix all ingredients in a baking dish with frozen lamb shank.

- Cook for four hours, turning occasionally and mixing all ingredients. Using a meat thermometer, you want to kill the heat when the lamb is 155F in the centre. When removed from the heat, and covered in clingfilm, the lamb will gently rise to the terminal heat of 160F over the next hour.

- Remove lamb and slice into small slithers. Add back to sauce.

- Cook your gnocchi. After boiling, toss the cooked gnocchi in some olive oil and salt, then add to the main lamb dish.

- Stir everything together and serve.