Simmie Vedi's Lamb Shanks with Harrissa
LAMB SHANKS WITH HARISSA
EQUIPMENT
● Heavy-bottomed casserole pot, must be
oven and hob-proof
● Blowtorch, barbecue or gas hob
INGREDIENTS
For the braise
4 lamb shanks
2 red onions, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 bulb garlic, split in half through the core
3 sticks celery, diced
400ml red wine
600ml chicken stock
For the spice paste
4 red long sweet peppers
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
2 ½ tbsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1” cinnamon stick
METHOD
Serves 4
Prep time: 30min
Cook time: 2 - 3hrs
Preheat oven to 160℃
- Char peppers over an open flame, once
blackened on the outside and soft, transfer
to a bowl and cover with cling film for 30
minutes. This makes it easier to peel the
blackened skin away. - While the peppers sweat, seal the lamb
shanks over a high heat on the hob and in
the same pot they will be braised in. Once
the shanks are golden all over, set them to
the side. - Turn the heat down and add in the
braising vegetables. Sweat these down over
a low heat until the onions are translucent. - Peel the peppers and place them into a
blender along with the other spice paste
ingredients except the cinnamon stick.
Blend until smooth, add a neutral cooking
oil if the paste looks too dry. - Add the spice paste, cinnamon and lamb
shanks to the pot and coat the shanks in
the paste. Let cook out for 5 minutes. - Increase heat on hob to high. Add the
wine and chicken stock. Top up with a
little water if shanks are not at least ¾
covered. - Let it boil for 5 minutes then transfer into
the oven for 2.5hrs. - Check after every 1hr, if meat looks dry,
add a little water. - Serve once meat is falling off the bone,
with flatbreads and babaganoush.
Happy New Year
Hello and Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
I hope that you had a great Christmas and New Year.
It is safe to say that 2020 was different! There have been some obvious lows, but also some positives. We have seen many more customers, both in store and online. People that want to support local, but more so, want to be part of the growing sustainable and regenerative agriculture movement. A year when people have reassessed and moved from fad diets and fast food to a more balanced way of living.
Our shop and website have been at bursting point, which has been amazing to see. It has given us the drive and confidence in what we do, and to keep pushing to improve our service.
It was a pleasant surprise to be voted ‘Best Butcher in Wales’ by the ‘Slow Food’ movement. ‘Slow Food’ is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. To be recognised by such a prestigious organisation is extremely pleasing.
It is your continued support that makes this possible and by supporting us you are supporting Welsh agriculture and supporting the ethical meat revolution. We are all playing a part in making farming better and allowing livestock and nature to coexist.
Please take any opportunity to share your recipes, food pictures and your family feasts on social media and don’t forget to tag us! @orieljonesltd
Thank you once again for your continued support,
Diolch,
Shaun and all at Oriel Jones
Shin of Beef Ragu
The Italian word ‘Ragù’ means a meaty sauce for pasta. This beef shin version is an amazing way to make a rich sauce that is fullof flavour using a very economical cut. The meltingly tender chunks of meat add a great texture. It’s easy to whip up a quick meal on a week night, or you can use the slow cooker for the ragù during the day.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
800g Quality Mark beef shin
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped (or use 2 teaspoons dried)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 cup red wine or beef stock
2 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
Method
-
- Preheat oven to 150oC or prepare slow cooker.
- Season the beef with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over a very high heat and sear the beef.
- Set the beef aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and a dash of oil to the pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and oregano for about 7-9 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the anchovies and tomato paste and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and the bay leaf.
- Transfer everything to a covered casserole dish or slow cooker.
- Bake in the oven or slow cooker for 4 hours, stirring a couple of times to ensure the beef stays mostly covered with liquid.
To Serve
Remove the meat with tongs and place on a board. Discard the bones and pull the beef into chunks with two forks. If necessary, you can simmer the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop to reduce and thicken it. Add the meat back into the sauce, taste and season as required. Spoon the meat sauce onto the hot pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Reopening of Shops & Social Distancing
Although we have made announcements on social media, we have had some customers not aware that we have reopened. Both our Canton and Pontcanna shops are now open. Our opening hours are 9am-3pm Tuesday to Saturday.
We have the full selection across both stores, Canton has a full selection of meat products, along with a new range of Summer products. Pontcanna has a fully stocked meat counter, and a range of pies, pastries and hot food options. We now have a variety of oven ready meals and a selection of cooked meats for your salads and sandwiches.
Both stores are fully compliant with social distancing rules, and we ask that you use card to make payments when possible. There is also guidelines in place to ensure responsible queuing. It has been great to see our customer response to this, and many making new friends while waiting for their produce.
We would like to thank everyone for their support over the past weeks. It has been a testing time for everyone, but it has also highlighted the strength in community. We are very fortunate to have the incredible support of our community which has widened over this period. We will continue to provide the very best service and produce and do our very best to serve those that support us.
Diolch yn fawr,
Shaun and the team.
Preserving Meat During Lockdown with Grady Atkins
Here is Grady's simple tips on having some fun with preserving and curing meats. It's just a short guide of what can be done in order to get a couple extra days from your produce, but more than that it is something fun to do and enjoy learning. Always make sure the meat is fresh and good to eat. You will only get good results if the ingredients are of good quality.
Lockdown - Preserved meats
When your freezer is full of other items, you can preserve your Oriel Jones meats in other ways. I generally apply some form of preserve to all of the meats I use from them, as it intensifies the flavour of the product, but overall, I have found that ground sea salt works best.
Lightly Salted Method
(to be done before oiling, or for confit)
This draws out a little of the water from the meat, whilst seasoning and preserving. This also works well with diced shin of beef and confit too.
• Lay the steaks, diced meat (or any other small cut of lamb, pork or beef) on a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
• Season with salt as you would if you were frying or braising it as normal. Turn and repeat on the other side.
• Leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours (up to 6 hours), or until the salt has melted and the meat has started to release water.
• Dry it off with a clean cloth or towel and refrigerate. This can be done on the use by date of your meat- which will add another 48 hours of freshness. If you decide to eat this through frying or braising no further salt needs to be added. It will be well seasoned.
Oil Method
I use this method when I want to keep steaks from oxidising. As you may know when you have steaks sitting on top of each other they turn brown on the surface. After cooking the steaks this colour can seep into the middle of the steak. A light brushing over the surface with vegetable oil will prevent this. For longer storage, completely submerge the pork, lamb or beef (pre-salted) cuts in the oil inside a Tupperware type container with a lid. As long as any moisture doesn’t get into your container, the meat will keep for a couple of weeks. Before cooking, drain off the oil and use it again for the same purpose.
Cured Method
(This works great with pork chops and pork belly, but is not suitable for beef or lamb.)
Use 2 parts salt to 1 part caster sugar for this method. For example 66gms salt to 33gms caster sugar. You should use this mix slightly more liberally than the salt only method. This is because the sugar enables you to leave the mix on the meat longer without over seasoning. However, this method is best done under refrigeration for 24 hours. If you are using small cuts like chops just coat them properly, then pile them on top of each other (in your container) to preserve space.
After curing for 24 to 36 hours, the meat should feel firm. Rinse off any cure that hasn't melted- otherwise just pat dry. For best results air dry in the fridge on a tray overnight. This meat can then be vacuum-sealed for 3 weeks, or stored in the oil method for up to a month under refrigeration. I mainly smoke this kind of product, but under the current circumstances grilling and/or fried in a coating of mustard and breadcrumbs are more realistic. It is important NOT to just fry the chops in a pan as they will be salty.
If using belly, once air dry, cook at 130 degrees in a fan oven for 4 hours (skin side up) without any seasoning. It will taste great.
Brined Method
Brining is generally more effective when used for larger cuts such as a whole rolled pork belly or shoulder. A standard brine for large cuts is 10%. This means 10% salt to the weight of warm water (to help the salt dissolve). You can also add any herbs or spices that you like in this, such as citrus, cinnamon and mint. A pork belly which has been boned and rolled can sit in a brine for 7-10 days, or until firm. Cuts like these are generally gently simmered for around 3 hours in fresh water with a bouquet of herbs, like a ham. Just pull it out of the brine into the fresh water.
Lightly Salted Shin of Beef Confit
Take the lightly salted and dried diced beef and submerge into the melted beef dripping. This is best done in a casserole style dish on the stove; however if you have a limited supply of dripping then do it in a baking tray spread out in the oven at 120 degrees. It will take much less fat to cover the diced beef.
For either method, pop in a couple of garlic cloves and a sprig of thyme. Keep the heat low enough so that the garlic doesn't start browning. However the fat should be hot. After 3 hours check tenderness with a fork or wooden skewer. Leave it to cool till manageable, but not set. There are 3 things you can do with the finished product:
1. Store the finished product in a clean container with all the fat for up to 3 months in the fridge.
2. Drain the beef from the fat before frying in a hot pan for crispy beef
3. Make a rillette- my personal favourite.
Method for Basic Rillette
Separate the meat from the fat. Shred the meat in a bowl (over ice) with a fork, and then drizzle and mix in enough fat to combine with the meat making a pâté consistency; between 15 & 20% of the weight of the meat. The ice helps the mixture to set and emulsify. Store in any covered container overnight in the fridge, and slice like you would a terrine. This can also be potted and covered with beef fat to seal it. Serve with mustard, toast and pickles.
Brined Vegetables
This is a great way to preserve extra veg if you have overbought on these perishable items. I first thought of doing this when I had extra brine from fermenting vegetables.
Vegetables such as pre-cut leeks, baby spinach, carrots, parsnips, kale, jerusalem artichokes, potatoes,etc all work well.
For this you will need a 2% brine. So for example if you have 200gms vegetables and 800gms water to cover them, you will need 20gms salt. Prior to deciding how much salt you will need, it is important to weigh the washed and prepped vegetables first, then submerge them in water and cover in any lidded container. As long as the vegetables are in the fridge they will stay fresh for a couple of weeks and are pre-seasoned for you before cooking.
If you have any questions, please follow me on instagram @gradyatkins or twitter @gradyatkins and feel free to send me a message.
Covid 19 Update
We have made the decision to make the shift to purely online for a short period. With government guidelines discouraging gatherings of people and the safety of our customers and staff of paramount importance we feel that this is the best way forward.
To place your order visit the shop page of our website.
After selecting your products and placing them in the cart, you will then have two options;
Option 1 - Click and Collect
You can collect your order from our Canton butchery. There is no minimum order, select as much or as little as your like. We will then e-mail to inform you when your order is ready for collection.
Option 2 - Free Local Delivery
We have been operating a 'Thursday Delivery' service, but from next week this will extend to Wednesday - Friday due to an increase in demand. Again, you will have an email to inform you when your order is completed and our for delivery. We have had to place a minimum order of £25.00 on this option,
I hope that you all appreciate how difficult a decision this was, but we feel it is for the best at this moment in time. We hope to fill our cabinets soon, but for now it is an exciting new chapter of online retail.
We have some great ideas to bring to you over the coming weeks. Please get in touch, share your pictures and recipes and not forget that food is social.
Thank you once again for your continued support, it really does mean so much.
Goan Sweet Potato Welsh Lamb Curry
With the evenings getting colder and winter fast approaching we find the need for more hearty meals, that keep us warm and content. This Welsh lamb curry dish from HCC does just that. All customers that have tried it have had great success and it is most definitely a firm favourite.
Ingredients
- 1tbsp oil
- 600g diced Welsh lamb (shoulder)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 sticks celery, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red chilli. seeds removed and finely sliced
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 3tsp garam masala powder
- 2tsp turmeric powder
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 2tbsp tomato puree
- 150ml veg or chicken stock
- Seasoning
- 1 lime, rind and juice
- Handful of fresh coriander
Preparation method
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the diced lamb and fry until browned.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, celery and chilli and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the spices and stir for a few minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, stock, tomato puree and seasoning.
- Once boiled cover with lid and simmer for 90 minutes. Add more stock if required.
- Add sweet potato and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until the potato is soft.
- To finish - stir through the lime rind and juice and sprinkle with chopped coriander.
Shaun's Farmers Weekly Article July
How things can change within four weeks! When writing my last 'Farmers Weekly' article we were shutting off additional fields in order to cut excess grass. Luckily for us we cut all that we needed, although, we now have acres upon acres of what resembles a desert! With the farm being south facing and having shallow, free draining soil we are extremely dry. We have not seen any rain since my last article, although some neighbouring areas have seen showers at times we have remained dry.
The grass situation is pretty desperate now. We have weaned a week early in order to preserve all pasture for the lambs. All ewes have been turned up the hill and will forage on dry roughage. The lambs have been turned down the meadow where there is ample cover of old leys. This is usually reserved for the suckler herd, but they are now having to follow and clean up behind, something which I’m sure they are thrilled about!
Due to other commitments we have taken a more relaxed approach to grazing this season, and find ourselves assessing covers by eye rather than taking weekly measurements. Time constraints and staffing have been the main instigator in the decision. With margins being wafer thin and constantly being squeezed further it is no longer viable having a full time shepherd. We have to make due with certain days within the week that are full with essential husbandry work and recordings. All silaging and field work is given to a local contractor.
BBQ season remains, although we are seeing a decline in the average spend due to a change in customers buying habits, caused by the weather. A trend to buy smaller portions and an increase in chicken sales, with products such as marinated kebabs being popular. The summer can traditionally be a quieter period for independents, with customers routines changing due to the school holidays etc.
The quieter period in the shop will hopefully allow me to have a couple of days with the family at the Royal Welsh Show. It’s something of a tradition that we go every year and take in all that the show has to offer. It’s a great time to meet with friends, socialise, network and find out what is in store for Welsh agriculture community over the next 12 months.