2 pounds lamb shanks, cut — 1 1/2 inch sections

Salt and pepper Oil for sauteing Flour for dredging 1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced fennel bulbs

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 cup red wine

2 cups chopped tomatoes

3 cups light stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 ounces Feta cheese, — crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Highly season the lamb shanks on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large Dutch oven.
Dredge the shanks in the flour, shake off any excess flour. Sear the shanks on both sides until golden brown.
Add the onions, fennel, and garlic.
Cook for 4 minutes, moving everything around to ensure it’s all cooking.
Add the wine, tomatoes and stock.
Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is so tender it falls from the bone.
Adjust the seasonings.
Remove from the Dutch oven and place on a platter.
Top with chopped oregano, olives, and feta.

3 lb Boneless lamb shoulder

3 tb Olive oil for pan browning

6 c Canned / fresh chicken broth

1/2 c Olive oil

2 c Orzo paste

1 1/2 c Peeled/chopped yellow onion

2 lg Ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 ts Dried dillweed

1/4 c Chopped parsley

Juice of lemon 1>.
In a stove-top Dutch oven brown the boneless lamb shoulder in the olive

oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
2>.
Add enough stock to come halfway up the side of the meat and simmer, covered, until very tender, about two hours.
3>.
Remove the meat from the pot and set aside, covered, to keep warm.

Remove the fat from the stock in the pan and add more stock if necessary to make up four cups.
Remove the stock from the pan and set aside.
4>.
Heat the Dutch oven again and add half cup olive oil.
Add the orzo paste and toss for a minute.
Add the chopped onion and sautee until the onion is clear.
Stir in the tomatoes, dillweed and parsley.
5>.
Return the meat to the pot along with the 4 cups of stock.
Cover and simmer until the broth is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.
NOTE: if the dish is toowet when the pasta is tender continue to cook for a few more minutes with the lid off to reduce the sauce.
~ Jeff Smith “The Frugal Gourmet”

6 lb Meat (lamb, beef, pork),

-cut into 1/4 inch cubes, -weighed after cubing 1 pt Stock or water

4 tb Balti masala paste

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Bring the stock or water to the boil in a large lidded casserole dish.
Add the meat and masala paste and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Cover and put in the oven, and cook for 20 minutes.
Inspect it and add water if needed.
Cook for another 20 minutes and test the meat for tenderness: it should still “resist” a little and feel not quite ready.
If it’s reached this stage, remove the casserole from the oven, remove the meat, cool it, package it in plastic containers or Ziploc bags, and freeze: or refrigerate until needed (if you’re going to need it in no more than 8 hours).
Reserve the stock: it too can be frozen and added to Balti sauce or curry sauce as desired.