Braised Lamb Shanks

Hey friends! I hope everyone's been well. It's been three months since the first recipe I've done, and I'm here to give you something new! So I find lamb to be something Filipinos try to avoid. Truth be told, I myself used to avoid it for the game-y scent you get out of it. However, since coming abroad, this recipe has made me love lamb and I'd love to share it with you! Though this recipe takes a while to make, you'd end up having this lamb melting off the bone, and so many flavors combined into one! 

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS: YIELD - Serves 4

* 4 x Lamb Shanks
* Vegetable Oil - As needed
* 200 g x Large-diced Onions
* 100 g x Large-diced Carrots
* 100 g x Large-diced Celery
* 2 Heads x Garlic, halved and roasted
* 2 Tbsp x Tomato Paste
* 24 Tbsp x Flour for roux
* 200 Ml x Dry Red Wine
* 2.4 L x Stock
* 1 x Large Bouquet Garni (Bayleaves, Black Peppercorns, Thyme, Optional)
* Salt and Pepper to taste
* Cornflour slurry (Water and Cornflour) if needed

✦ Trim the lamb shanks of excess fat, season with salt and pepper. 

✦ Over medium to high heat, heat enough oil on a pan to fill the bottom until the oil starts to shimmer. Place the shanks carefully in the oil and sear to a deep brown on all sides. 

    Remove the shanks to a pan and reserve.

✦ Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook; stirring from time to time until golden brown. Add the carrots then the celery and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste turns a deeper color and gives off a sweet aroma. (This takes about a minute) If desired, stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux for 4 - 5 minutes.

✦ Add the wine to the pan, stirring to release any fat. Reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer. Return the shanks to the pan along with any juices they may have released. Add Bouquet Garni.

✦ Bring to a gentle simmer over medium to low heat. Cover the pot and transfer it to a moderate oven (150 degrees celsius). Braise the lamb shanks for 1 hour. Degrease the liquid if necessary and turn the shanks. Finish braising the lamb until fork-tender, check for an hour, and add another when necessary.

✦ Transfer the lamb shanks to a hotel pan or other holding container and moisten with some of the cooking liquid. Keep warm as you finish the sauce. 

✦ For the sauce, keep simmering the cooking liquid until it's to your desired taste. Scoop out the fat off the sauce to keep it nice and glossy. If you want it thickened, add the cornflour slurry. Season to desired taste, and keep hot. 

 You're done!

Enjoy this with something as simple as kumara mash, roasted vegetables, or any side you can think of! This is great comfort food, and it's a crowd pleaser! 

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Burger Steak on Rice Ala Jollibee or Orange Brutus!

Overseas Filipino Workers will always miss the simple things. I for one, miss a whole lot of them. Having not been able to visit Philippines for over eight years now,  I can only drool and look through the vast quantities of food porn photos made by my friends from back home. Now with the power of the internet and slight tweaking here and there, I’ve made a humble and (relatively) easy way to make the typical Jollibee and Orange Brutus Burger steak we crave now and again. 

And for you guys that haven’t left our country’s soil? Now you can have the same (or even better) burger steak at the comfort of your own home! No deliveries necessary, no overly pricey little portions, you have it on your own terms! The best part? You can add ANYTHING you want.

Burger Steak : Serves 3-4 People (Depending on how big you shape your patties up)

Prep and Cooking Time: 15-20 Minutes

For the Burger Pattie:

• * 700g of Minced Beef
• * 3 TBSP Soy Sauce (Datu Puti or Kikkoman would be good!)
• * 1 Onion, Finely Diced
• * 1 Cup of White Button Mushrooms (Substitute with  -4 tbsp- OR one of those Mushroom Soup Packets -1 Packet-)
• * 1 Egg (This browns the beef and seals it together when cooking it)
• * Grated Cheese (CHOOSE YOUR OWN CHEESE!, Not a whole lot, but just enough, optional)
• * Salt and Pepper (Don’t add it in yet)

For the Mushroom Gravy: (IT’S SO GOOD)

* 3 TBSP of Butter (You can use Margarine, or something similar)

* 5 TBSP of All Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour

* 1 Knorr Broth Cube (Beef or Chicken)

* 2-3 Button Mushrooms (Use Mushroom Soup Sachets if unavailable!)

* 2 ¼ Cups of Water

Whole Cooking Procedure

1. * Boil Water, Add that Broth Cube! Let it sit aside
2. * Mix everything together EXCEPT for Salt, Pepper and Cheese.
3. * Avoid seasoning as much. Add a little bit of salt and pepper in the mixture. Then you can add more later on when cooking.
4. * You’re going to want to have this format: Meat Mix, Cheese, then MORE Meat Mix. Make sure the cheese stays in the middle, sealed and everything.
5. * Wondering if the meat is supposed to feel a bit wet? Yes it is. We added egg, so it should! Wondering if it’s normal to have a few chunks of onion falling off? That means you have to mix it more.
6. * Actually, if anything is falling off, then yeah, you have to mix it more. Set Aside.
7. * Heat a sauce pan up, and you want it hot. Add the butter and let the butter melt under low heat.
8. * Now add the flour, and continue to cook in low heat, continuously stirring until the color turns medium brown. Make sure the flour is fully incorporated with the butter otherwise you’ll have some major clumps after this step. We’re making a roux for our gravy base, and this is decadent AF. Don’t burn it at the bottom, always stir! (If you have the Mushroom Soup Sachets or Mushrooms, now is the time to add it.)
9. * This is where you slowly add the beef stock you did on the first step onto the flour and butter mix. Always mixing it as you pour. If you think you need more liquid, feel free to add some more water if necessary.
10. * Note * You need that gravy sauce nice, thick and glossy.
11. * Make sure you have no clumps, and hey, you’re sauce is good to go. Set it aside, we’re going to heat it up later.
12. * Now grab a pan that has a fitting lid, and set the heat on high. Grab your patties, add some salt and A LOT of pepper on both sides and as soon as that pan starts smoking, add some oil in and add them onto the pan. Let the patties caramelize on both sides.
13. * Once you have all of them caramelized, add ½ cup of water and put the lid on. This makes sure your patties will cook inside, and the cheese melts too! Cook it for 7 minutes, check the meat, take off the lid and cook some more. Just let it cook until it’s ready. (I.E. When the water you added runs out completely)
14. * Reheat your sauce. You can do it on the same pot, or add it onto your burger pan.
15. * You’ve done it!

This is amazing comfort food, and I really wanted to share it with everyone!

Enjoy it with an extra egg on top, rice, UFC banana sauce, and you’re pretty much set! 

If you guys get the chance to make this, leave comments, take photos! I’d love to see stuff!

Little Cheegro OUT!

Disclaimer: All photos here do not belong to me and belong to their respective owners.