Caitríona Redmond: How to make my slow-cooker lamb-shank tacos

The slow cooker can get a bit of bad press for churning out meals that are mushy and overcooked, but I am a huge fan of cooking low and slow.

Firstly, it’s one of the most energy efficient appliances in my kitchen, using around the same energy as a conventional lightbulb when it’s turned on. 

I use a timer plug to make sure my main meal is ready at dinnertime and isn’t sitting in the cooker simmering away for too long.

There’s nothing wrong with soft food either, I believe that the issue that people have is the lack of bright flavours that you would generally associate with eating fresh-cooked meals. There are ways to get around this, though.

Slow cooker food can taste dull so boost the flavours with dried herbs, ground spices and of course salt. 

One thing I’ve learned is that carbohydrates tend to suck the seasoning out of slow cooker meals. Nothing like a few handfuls of rice or pasta to turn a slow cooker meal into mushy stodge. 

Instead, I like to cook my rice, pasta and potatoes separately. This guarantees a brighter tasting meal and better textures. 

Textures in this house can be an issue at mealtimes, and it’s better to make sure that everyone will eat a family dinner, rather than having some of it go to waste.

My general rule for assembling a slow cooker meal is 1 protein, 1 pulse, at least 3 vegetables, a little liquid, and plenty of seasoning. My choice of protein decides how long I turn the slow cooker on for. 

Stewing beef in pieces take about 4 hours on high to become tender, whereas sliced chicken breasts take less than 3 hours and a housekeepers' cut of beef can take up to 8 hours. 

Providing the meal in the cooker is vegetarian, and cut to small bite sized pieces, I will cook the contents for 2 hours.

Adding pulses to a protein in the slow cooker doubles up on its protein content, makes my meat stretch a little further, and increases the fibre content of meals. 

I can’t always persuade my family to eat vegetarian meals, but I can encourage them to eat less meat this way. 

We’ve reached this compromise after many years of trial and error. If you think about it, eating less meat 7 days a week could be more powerful than one meat-free day a week.

I always say at least 3 vegetables because in my opinion, you can never have enough vegetables at dinner time. 

The new advice for better health is to eat more than 7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Cooking some of those low and slow and incorporating them into soups and stews can help.

Home Truths: Meal Prep Bags

I’m reliably informed that in the American lexicon, these bags are called “dump bags” but I prefer to call them meal prep bags. 

For 30 minutes once a week I chop, cut, and assemble these meals in advance and then store them in the freezer.

The bags are a source of huge joy to me because they eliminate all doubt over what we are going to eat for dinner. 

I simply grab the bag from the freezer the day before, then defrost it in the fridge overnight, decant into the slow cooker early in the morning and turn the dial to medium or high. Then, I reap the rewards at dinnertime.

Unlike classic meal preparation, the prep bags contain raw, uncooked ingredients. If I’m stuck for time, 

I buy bags of frozen vegetables in the supermarket and use them in my recipes. Freezer vegetables will be broken down in the slow cooker anyway, and they will save me from chopping.

The receptacle, or large freezer bag, is washed in the sink and dried inside out on the draining board for use on another day. Nothing goes to waste.

Lamb Shank Tacos

By:caitriona Redmond  Recipe

Lamb Flavours A On Soft Requires They Great Slow Take Cooking Another Lovely Bonus Eaters The To Vehicle New A Shank Texture, By It Picky Making Can Cooking Seasoning Plenty Slow For Of That Introducing Strong Lamb Vegetables A Cut Tolerate Is

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 8 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 8 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• 2 Lamb Shanks

• 2 Chopped Carrots,

• 2 Chopped Onions,

• 4 Chopped Cloves Garlic, 5

• Chickpeas, Drained 1 Tin Of

• Paprika Flakes, Ground 1 Chilli Ground And Cumin, Coriander, Chipotle Tsp Of Each

• Tbsp Vinegar Cider 1

• Chopped Tin 1 Tomatoes

• Stock 250ml Vegetable

• for Salsa: The

• 1 Finely Red Diced Onion,

• Large Tomatoes, Grated 2

• 1 Red Pepper, Diced Finely

• Salt Decent Pepper And Pinch Of

• Juice 1 Lime

• Stalks Roughly Dice Finely Handful And The 1 Coriander; Leaves Chop The

• Serve To Corn Tortillas,

method

1. Defrosted Freeze For And Cooker, High 8 Contents Ingredients A Stir To Freezer Well, A To Cooker Slow Well Bag Cook Hours In Up The Slow 1 Month Into Seal The Advance, For Decant This Prepare Add To Meal To Switch To Large

2. Pot Is Cooked Heavy Meal Can Ingredients For A Well Lid Cooker Baking Tender 6 Hours Stir 8 On The The Fresh, The Cooking Cooker Low (140°c) If Meat Directly Oven This To Hours Until A A The Approximately In Set Cooker In Slow For From And Slow Into Also High Be With Add

3. Tomatoes, Allow And Red About To An Of Bowl Onion, To Hour Coriander And The Ready In Plenty A The Flavours Are Red Juice Bowl Before The Eat Lime Cover Develop Seasoning, Well To Eating Grated Stir Pepper, Assemble Until You Salsa The

4. Meat The Broth Apart Side From Lamb And Bones The Serve Tortillas Bowl The To Return Use Spoon Shanks Broth Salsa Toasted On The Corn And To Meal, Meat Lamb With Cooking A The Remove The Stir The To The Fork Break A Into And Then