Braised Goat Shanks

Serves 4

Braised Goat Shank Photo: supplied

Ingredients

• 4-8 goat shanks (depending on size)
• 2 tsp whole caraway seeds  
• 6 garlic cloves (2 crushed)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 onions (peeled and sliced)
• 1 carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
• olive oil
• 1.5L chicken stock

Method

Season the shanks and rub with a little olive oil. Rub the meat with crushed garlic, cumin and coriander powders.

Sear the shanks over high heat in a heavy-based pan with olive oil until golden brown.  Add shanks to a roasting tray. Add the onions, carrot and remaining 4 garlic cloves. Add a little more oil and allow the vegetables to get a deep browning, it should not quite burn but be close to it. Add the caraway seeds and stir for a final 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the stock, and add the liquid and vegetables to the tray.

You want the shanks mostly covered by liquid, find a smaller vessel or add more stock or water if you need to.
Seal the tray tightly with tin foil. Braise in a preheated oven at 190 degrees for two hours.

Sides

Ingredients

• 300 g fine polenta
• 1 onion sliced
• 500g swiss chard (or rainbow) stalks and leaves separated, sliced at 1 cm lengths
• 400g cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 50g butter
• lemon zest for seasoning
• Chopped mixed fresh herbs
• 100g grated pecorino

Method

Add 300g of polenta to 1 litre of boiling lightly salted water. Continually stir and add liquid over the next 5 minutes until the consistency remains stable. You want it to be mashed potato consistency. Set the heat to low and let it bubble away for 20 minutes. Add a touch more water if it needs it. Stir only occasionally, it develops flavour by caramelising on the bottom and sides of the pot. Finish by adding a cube of butter. Adjust the seasoning.

In a large pan brown 1 sliced onion until caramelised, add chopped chard stalks halfway through the cooking. Add sliced chard leaves and tomato. Toss the pan as it cooks until the tomato starts to break down and forms a sauce for the chard. Season with salt and pepper.

The shanks should come away from the bone easily when done. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes if they don't.

To serve

Spoon the polenta onto a serving plate, drizzle with good olive oil, cover with grated pecorino and top with toasted chopped pistachio nuts.

Serve the chard on the side, and the shank in deep bowls sitting in the cooking liquid. Finish with chopped herbs and lemon zest.