Low and slow

Minted lamb shanks with mustard mash recipe

There is some meat that you have to cook quickly: a minute steak for example, or a rack of lamb perhaps, but on the whole, meat – particularly red meat should take its time to cook. I’m a firm believer in the low and slow method of cooking . It gives the fat time to melt properly to keep everything tender and rich, allows you to buy cheaper, less-prized (although not in my kitchen) cuts, and gives you time to do other stuff while it’s doing its merry thing in the oven or slow cooker.

I cook a lot of meat this way: oxtail, ox cheek, beef shin, lamb shoulder, and perhaps my favourite, lamb shank. The shank is taken from the lower part of the lamb’s leg below the knee. It typically has lots of fat and sinew, which is beautifully broken down by the low and slow cooking process, leaving succulent fall-apart meat.