The meat we eat

Lamb

England and Wales produce some of the finest lamb anywhere in the world. New Zealand is also a large producer, though imported New Zealand lamb is usually frozen by the time it reaches these shores.

By its very nature, lamb comes from young animals, therefore most of it is relatively tender. But, some cuts, such as the shoulder and shank, are tougher and fatty and are better-suited to stewing or braising.

Lamb should be a brownish-pink colour, not as dark red as beef and not grey or bloody. Like beef, it is best when cooked medium, unless it is being used in a slow-cooked stew or casserole.

Cuts for roasting: leg, shoulder (both leg and shoulder can be roasted whole or boneless), breast, best end of neck (called a rack of lamb), saddle, loin fillet

Cuts for stewing and braising: leg and shoulder (cut in smaller pieces), chump chops, middle neck, breast, knuckle, shank

Cuts for grilling and frying: cutlets, loin chops, chump chops, leg steaks (from the top end of the leg)

Classic accompaniments: mint and mint sauce, redcurrant jelly, rosemary, red wine sauce, claret.

Lamb shanks with rosemary and mashed potatoes

The thin end of the leg, lamb shanks are back in fashion and now being served in the trendiest of restaurants. Served on a pile of creamy mashed potatoes, this is comfort food at its best.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours

4 lamb shanks
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 organic carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets
200ml dry white wine
300ml lamb stock
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve
mashed potatoes, to serve

Season the flour with the rosemary, salt and pepper, spread on a plate and roll the shanks to give a light coating. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove from the casserole and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil and fry the onions, celery and carrots until soft. Add any leftover flour and rosemary, the garlic and anchovies and stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the wine and stock and boil for about 5 minutes to reduce the liquid by half. Add the tomatoes and return the lamb to the casserole. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 2 hours.

Check the sauce - if it seems a bit thin, remove the lid and allow to reduce for another half hour or so. Just before serving, taste for seasoning and stir in the chopped parsley.

Serve one shank per person on a mound of mashed potatoes with the sauce spooned over it.