Kimbo had mentioned that he'd bought some frozen Lamb Shanks from Lidl (I think), and that they'd been delicious.
Then, I just happened to notice that they had some in Sainsbury's; so I invested.
Inside the pack were two separate, frozen, vacuum packed, Lamb Shanks in a deep rich gravy.
They needed about 45 mins in the oven, so in went some spuds to roast, then 15 mins later in went the emptied packs of lamb; making sure to keep all the sauce. When the hour was up; they were all perfectly cooked.
We were both very pleasantly surprised. In fact I shall visit Lidl this week to see if they have some; if not I'll buy them again from Sainsbury's. A pack of these in the freezer is an excellent back-up; as it was for me on Easter Day.
The finished dish was impressive looking, very tender and tasty, and no work! If I had one tiny criticism, it would be that the sauce had a slightly artificial mint flavour; but nothing to worry about.
Verdict: 9/10 I shall now keep a pack of these in the freezer at all times.
With the gravy included it's a real convenience pack. I haven't tasted mint sauce in years. It's not a combination known around here.
ReplyDeleteProper home made mint sauce is excellent with all Lamb dishes, but this was a bit strange. It didn't take-away from the overall taste, but it was something we could have done without.
DeleteAs always, I recommend Lidl. The lamb shanks are very good and they do Gammon shanks too! They are not frozen though. They are in the chilled isle.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't report back on the Lidl Deluxe Cornish butter. What did you think?
This morning will be my first visit since your recommendation. I shall report back about the butter!!!
DeleteI had bought some, I'd forgotten. Yes, very good!
DeleteThey sound tasty...I wonder if Aldi do them. Always looking for easy food for the freezer in case of not being able to go food shopping .
ReplyDeleteLidl didn't have any this morning, so I bought the same again from Sainsbury's (£7). £3.50 each for a really nice meal; can't be bad!
DeleteThey sound good. Haven't heard of them here. Lamb shanks are a ridiculous price, more per kilo than a leg.
ReplyDeleteWe were amazed how good they were. When we have them again I'll take a photo. I forgot on Sunday evening.
DeleteWill be interested to hear what you think about the Lidl ones. I have tried them and had the same issue with the mint sauce, it didn’t taste right to me and I only brought them once. We tend to go for the half price half legs from Tesco.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'll make my own usual Mint Sauce; that should disguise the strange flavour of their mint.
DeleteWe regally have them from Lidl, we always cook them in our slow cooker.
ReplyDeleteI'm annoyed they didn't have any.
DeleteWe have had them from Aldi where you can get both chilled and frozen versions. The frozen ones are cheaper. I agree with you about the gravy taste.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to write to them about the Minty gravy! I shall try Aldi on Saturday. They're probably all much the same; it's just a matter of if they have them or not.
DeleteAt Aldi you can get them with two different gravy flavours - red wine or mint, Personally, I would prefer a simple onion gravy. We could add our own mint as desired. This is important stuff. Who cares about the war in Iran?
Delete'Mint' is a serious subject; especially as I took some roots of Spearmint from my neighbour's front garden two years ago, and it's now running amok in my back garden. I need to use it more!
DeleteMight I suggest a Hugo?
DeleteIs that 'mint and champagne/prosecco'?
DeleteRaise the mint put in decent sized wine glass, add ice, then 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts elderflower liqueur and 1 part soda water. Lovely on a hot day. Don’t waste champagne on it
DeleteIt sounds like a really refreshing Summer drink. I shall try it.
DeleteLamb Shanks are something I've only seen in Iceland here (Spain), but I've never thought of looking for them in the frozen section in Lidl. Will do so next time I'm in there, as it's years since I've had a lamb roast - or any kind of roast! When my husband was alive, I used to buy the frozen shanks in red wine after we found, as you did, the mint sauce tasted artificial. We'd make our own fresh mint sauce and pour it over the red wine!
ReplyDeleteThe minty-ness certainly gets a Thumbs Down everywhere. It won't stop me buying them.
DeleteI will look for those here, unlikely in the USA, lamb is much less popular on this side of the Pond. Stephen's mom showed me how to cook it 20 years ago during a visit to Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteThey've only just appeared here in the past year or so. They are a good addition to the shopping list!
DeleteThe only way I truly like lamb is at a Greek restaurant. It is always tender and savory. I've not experienced mint with the lamb at the restaurant. I'll look at Trader Joe's (AKA: The US Aldi) for the frozen lamb shanks.
ReplyDeleteMint Sauce (chopped mint with vinegar and some sugar) is standard in the UK to serve with Lamb. It was one of the first things I learned to make as a small child.
DeleteDo you have a cut glass mint sauce boat on a glass saucer?
DeleteYes I do. I'm not sure where it is, but it's a treasured possession. I don't suppose many people would know what it is these days!
DeleteOddly, what the post has brought into my mind is not so much the the fact that I love lamb but the fact that I cannot remember the last time I ate meat in the form of a joint of any sort.
ReplyDeleteThe Lamb Shank was surprisingly 'meaty'. At £3.50 for each person, it was an absolute bargain!
DeleteBloody lovely
ReplyDelete