Vietnamese Lamb Shanks

Good Pair Days -
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 medium lamb shanks
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp chopped root ginger
  • 3 sliced garlic cloves
  • 2 red chillies, sliced
  • 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, plus an extra tsp
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, peeled and bashed
  • 1.2 litres of lamb or beef stock
  • 1.5 tbsp tomato puree
  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Handful of mint leaves, torn
  • Handful of basil leaves
  • Heat the oven to 160C. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole, season the shanks, and brown them two at a time all over. Remove the lamb, and add the onions. Fry them for 1 minute, then add the garlic, ginger, and chillies, turn the heat down and stir in the 1 tbsp of sugar. Add the lemongrass, star anise, stock, puree, and plenty of seasoning, and bring to the boil.
  • Cover the casserole, and cook in the oven for 1 ½ hours. Add the sweet potato chunks, and cook for one hour more. Stir in the fish sauce, the lime juice, and 1 tsp of sugar, then scatter with mint, basil, and a little more sliced chilli to serve.
3 hours
4 serving