READY FOR ITS VERY FIRST TIME

It arrived and DH got a gas bit and fitted it up for me.  I was undecided whether to use my smaller cast iron oven or try the new bedourie which didnt leave much space around the sides, I was thinking I should have got the 10" rather than the 12" for the ovenmate.  But I didnt particularly get them to go together and tomorrow I might show you why I needed the 12".  I decided on the Bedourie as being at home I could pressure cook or microwave if it didnt cook in time for dinner tonight and I wanted to see if having so little space affected the heating of the camp oven.  Also it was a very windy day with the winds swirly and hard to find anywhere totally protected.

This is what I do no matter what I cook in,  its pretty simple and basic:

Ingredients:  4 Lamb Shanks, onions, potatoes, swedes, turnips, carrots, mushroom if I have them, tin diced tomatoes, tomato paste, soy sauce, worchestorshire sauce, dried italian herbs, fresh herbs (this time mint and rosemary) if available, chicken stock, red wine, pepper, salt to taste.  (garlic and chilli could be optionals also).

I do make the carrots chunky and used baby potatoes cut in half.   This is my preference others like to dice down all the vegetables.  The rest I do cut up small.

Method:  Browned 4 Lamb Shanks and there were forquarter chops cheap at Coles so I put 4 of them in as well in a little olive oil remove from oven.  Slightly brown all root vegetables.  This takes a while and some skip this part but I always do this.  I was glad I added a bit more as I ended up with an extra person for dinner and the DH always likes left overs when possible of this particular dish.

Place shanks in oven then hard vegetables over top and around.  Then add herbs, large tin diced tomatoes, tomato paste, soy, worchestorshire sauce, herbs, half a large chicken stock, about a cup of red wine.

We had the new gas burner on about 1/2 for about an hour and I then checked it.  It seemed to be boiling a bit hard and very liquid.  I thought I would deal with the liquidity later and we turned it down to about 1/3rd.  I say we... its a long story about me and gas I might tell you another time   but I am a bit nervy of gas stoves.

After two hours I again checked it and found the meat had reached the tender stage and it was quite thick.   I added some baby beans and we left it cook for another fifteen minutes.

It tasted great but then it usually does and I did use mostly the same ingredients I always do.   Not a particular summertime dish   but I know what the new toys can do in this regard and if camping I know I could go off for a pre dinner drink and come back to a perfectly cooked dinner.  

That meal looks great! -I have to mop up the drool of my keyboard now!
I'm doing shanks as well on Saturday night. Do you remember when the butcher would give away the shanks as nobody wanted them?. They have got pretty expensive now and quite rightly so have become a delicacy. How things change.
All the best
The Roosel

Carolyn
That looks very good to me.I agree with what the PD said keep it simple.  I am a believer in the local butcher I have three close to me and support them all. Stuffed rolled shoulder top gear, rolled and stuffed forequarter flaps absolutely beautiful.
Muzz

Not sure of the time Derek I think it was only 2 1/2 hours.  I have rosemary growing and although banned from using garlic thought the idea of resting the lamb on the rosemary and garlic would just smell so wonderful and good for camp oven cooking.

Roosel if you cook a meal its nice to have the person your sharing with eat it!

I have discovered a self grinding chilli/garlic mixture at the supermarket which solves the problem for me 

Thanks Little Kopit but the idea is that the whole meal doesnt have the flavour, just mine