The Cook Is Reading Her Book

A beautifully simple lamb dish that gets you out of the kitchen. And back to your book.

I love to cook. I also love to read. But sometimes I get carried away with both. I am usually creating a delicious meal while also trying to read the next chapter of my latest book. But my books have accidentally caused a few fires, set off a few smoke alarms and almost ruined one dinner party. Please tell me I am not alone in this. And I admit — cooking from the couch or computer is typically a recipe for disaster.

You definitely can’t read a book while you’re boiling or frying something. Unless you really like to clean up after boiled over potatoes or eat a dried up pork chop that you can barely swallow without wine.

And my werewolf of a dog hides in the corner when the smoke detector is screaming. So I confess — I had to switch my cooking-while-reading strategy and if you’re reading this you probably do too.

Who did I look to for inspiration so I don’t burn my house down while I cook and read? Bakers. People who love to bake don’t have my almost-burned-down-the-house problem. They are smart and use timers.

My friend Jo-Ann loves to bake, read, golf, and volunteer. I know she is also hooked on Outlander like me. She baked cakes for my wedding and not only were they delicious and gorgeous— white champagne cake with champagne icing and an extravagant deep chocolate cake too — but the odds were high she read a book while they were in the oven. I’m on to her tricks.

So several years ago I decided to fall in love with slow cooking even further. I’ve always enjoyed making cabbage rolls, ribs and casseroles that simmered in their own savory juices and used time as metamorphosis. So I turned 80% of my cooking into dishes that loved the oven.

Now I’ve upped my game and my $6.00 Le Creuset dutch oven thrift store score has become my true blue friend. This cast iron pot may be battered and an ugly 1970s brown BUT it is French Le Creuset and worth about $400 — so there.

Go weep over your Instant Pot.

You need your book and you need something delicious for dinner. Shanks to the rescue! Shanks are normally a tough and inexpensive cut of meat —but through the alchemy of low heat, time, wine and savory ingredients they transform into cut-with-your-fork and melt in your mouth deliciousness.

And you don’t need to be picky about what kind of shanks you want for this recipe. You can use lamb, beef, elk, bison, or venison but I wouldn’t use pork/ham hocks. I also love moose shanks but hey — I live in Canada and maybe you don’t have moose handy.

Here comes the best part.

The recipe uses wine but there’s enough left for a glass for yourself and your book. I am kind like that.

Soon your house smells amazing and you can eat this with mashed potatoes (which I can make in my sleep except yes — I do sometimes boil them over while reading), rice or just a thick slice of good bread.

Braised Lamb* Shanks with Garlic

1 cup dry red wine (it doesn’t need to be expensive but certainly drinkable)

1–2 cups of chicken broth

2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

5–6 pounds of lamb* shanks, not trimmed of fat (other kinds of shanks work too)

1 large firm head of garlic (about 15 cloves), separated into cloves and crushed and peeled

2–3 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

1–2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Finely grated zest and the juice of 1 large lemon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl mix the red wine, mustard, salt and pepper and place into your Dutch oven or roaster.

Brown shanks in a frying pan with olive oil. Layer the shanks in the Dutch oven/roaster so they all fit into the pot.

Scatter the remaining ingredients around and on the shanks. Cover and cook for 3–4 hours. (Check the dish at 3 hours and see if the meat is fall off the bone/fork tender. If not — give it another hour.)

Now. Go read your book.

Thanks for reading! I have loads of food essays (delicious recipes too) and thoughtful and quirky simpler living essays waiting for you. (Well over 100 of them!) And this story caught the attention of NBC News In New York!