slow cooking lamb

this little experiment started with a plastic container of cheap lamb offcuts from Woolies*, the kind of meat that normally ends up in the butcher shop sausage machine.

By the time I had finished, I had a tasty little platter of succulent juicy meat and 3 veg.

For the cheaper cuts of meat all you need is a little patience, a small amount of technique and a nose for delicious aromas.

Ingredients
roughly 1kg lamb offcuts, on the bone if possible
2 potatoes cut into 2.5cm pieces
1 carrot, cut into 2.5cm pieces
sea salt/ cracked black pepper
green veg ready for the steamer

Method
trim the lamb of large pieces of fat.  season the meat well with sea salt and cracked black pepper, rubbing well into the flesh
Place in baking dish with a little water, roughly 100ml and cover with a lid or tightly with foil
Bake in a low oven 110degC or 220 farenheit and bake for 2 hours.
Pour off the fat and juices into a jug, the liquid portion can be used for making stock
Place the potatoes and carrots into the roasting dish, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Place back in the 180degC oven for a further 45minutes-1hour with the lid

Keep the meat and vegetables warm while you make a gravy from the reduced pan juices combined with a little red wine vinegar if u like.
Serve the lamb pieces on a platter with green vegetables steamed until al dente, with the gravy juices poured over the meat



There's meat on them there bones



*retail supermarket chain in Oz, the meat cost just $4

Andy’s Yummy Cream of Cauliflower Soup

　
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
½ cup of cream
1.5 litres of good chicken stock, warmed
1 potato, chopped into pieces

Cook cauliflower and potato in stock until soft, seasoning with just a little salt (be careful the stock may have salt in it) and plenty of ground white pepper
Blitz the softened vegies in the food processor until almost a puree but not quite (u don't want baby food)
Add the soup back into the pot with the cream and warm gently


To serve:

In a bowl ladle the soup and top with fresh chopped chives and chopped crispy fried bacon to garnish.  Drizzle with good quality olive oil

On the side:  toasted cheese sandwiches (grilled on a oiled griddle) for a lovely Autumnal lunch...

Andrew’s Yummy Beef Stew with Baked Cheesy Dumplings

Ok the dumplings are basically a savoury scone, but they are quite light and nice with a little butter and dipped in the gravy. They make a nice alternative to pastry
750g Oyster Blade steak, cut into 2cm cubes
1 medium carrot, cut into a small dice
1 medium onion, cut into a small dice
1 medium stick of celery
1/2L or so of beef stock
1-2tbsp seasoned flour
Olive oil
Method
In a good heavy fry pan, cook veg in oil for 5 minutes until soft
Take out of pan
Chuck steak into a plastic bag, with the flour
Add a little more olive oil, brown meat in batches
Add veg
Add stock
Cover tightly and simmer gently for 1.5 hours stirring occasionally.
You might need to add a little more stock or water if the meat sticks
Baked Dumplings
2 cups Self Raising Flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
½ cup butter
Small pinch salt
¼ cup milk
Pinch pepper
Pinch mixed herbs
½ cup grated tasty cheese
Rub butter into flour, until it resembles breadcrumbs
Add other ingredients
Mix together
Turn out onto floured bench and cut into 4 cm rounds, about 2cm high
Bake for 15minutes at 225Deg C
Serve with the stew, and a knob of butter in the middle, a glass or 2 of red