Shank and Shin Potjie

Serves 5 – 6

Tradition with taste! South Africans love to camp out, winter and summer. This is a traditional cold weather treat. The combination of beef shin and lamb shank delivers outstanding meaty flavour. Prepare it in two phases for camping. Phase one can be done at home and frozen. Phase two, add flavour at the campsite and finish off the potjie.

Recipe Category

Meat – Beef, Meat – Lamb, Traditional Homegrown South African Recipes

Products in this recipe

Beef Flavour Stock Powder, Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Garlic & Herb Seasoning, Green Onion Seasoning, Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook Sauce

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You will need

Phase 1 (pre-cook)

1 kg meaty beef shin, cut through the bone into 2 cm thick slices
750 g lamb shank, cut into 6 cm pieces
4 T (60 ml) flour
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman’s Beef Flavour Stock Powder
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman’s Garlic Pepper Seasoning
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb Seasoning
2 T (30 ml) olive or canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups (500 ml) water

Phase 2 (final finish)

2 T (30 ml) fat skimmed from meat or oil
1 T (15 ml) butter
1 kg small pickling onions or shallots, cut in half
2 t (10 ml) brown sugar
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman’s Green Onion Seasoning
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman’s Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook Sauce
½ cup (125 ml) water
2 bay leaves

Gremolata

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
grated rind from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Ina’s Tip

The reason for cutting through the outer connective tissue of the shin pieces is to prevent it from curling while browning.

Method

Phase 1 (pre-cook at home)

Snip three times through the outside of each piece of shin (see pic).
Measure flour, Stock Powder and Seasonings into a biggish plastic bag, add both the skin and shank pieces and shake to coat.
Brown the meat in batches in the oil, remove and keep on one side. Shake any leftover flour out over the meat.
Add chopped onions to remaining fat in the pot and stir-fry. Add the water and bring to the boil. Add browned meat pieces. Simmer very slowly or cook in a 150°C oven for ± 3 hours until the meat is tender.
Allow to cool, decant into a container with all the sauce, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Phase 2 (final finish on the fire)

Prepare the fire for the potjie. Size 2 is best.
Add the fat skimmed from the meat and butter to the pot and brown the small onions seasoned with sugar and Green Onion Seasoning. Add Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, water and bay leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked meat and all the gravy. Simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
Mix together the Gremolata ingredients and sprinkle over the top.
Serve with polenta or samp and a salad.