18/10/2026
🍲 EASY LAMB SHANK POTJIEKOS
Tender lamb, hearty vegetables and a rich gravy—perfect for a relaxed afternoon around the fire!
🍽️ Serves: 4
⏱️ Prep: 20 minutes | Cooking: approximately 3–3½ hours
🔥 Pot: No. 3 potjie
INGREDIENTS
• 4 lamb shanks or lamb shank stew
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup (250 ml) red w**e, or extra beef stock
• 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock, plus extra if needed
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 medium potatoes, halved
• 4 carrots, cut into thick chunks
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
METHOD
1️⃣ Brown the lamb
Pat the shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in your potjie over medium coals. Brown the shanks in batches, then remove and set aside.
2️⃣ Build the flavour
Add the onions and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the w**e or extra stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
3️⃣ Let it simmer
Return the shanks to the pot. Add the tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and bay leaves. The liquid should come roughly halfway up the meat; add a little extra stock if needed. Cover and simmer gently over low coals for about 2 hours.
4️⃣ Add the vegetables
Layer the potatoes and carrots on top. Cover and cook for another 60–90 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the lamb is tender and pulls easily from the bone. Avoid stirring once the vegetables are added.
5️⃣ Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaves and rosemary stems. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the gravy is too thin, simmer with the lid off for 15–20 minutes, watching that the bottom doesn’t catch.
🍚 Serve with fluffy rice, pap or fresh potbrood to soak up the gravy.
🔥 POTJIE TIP
Keep a few coals underneath for a gentle simmer, adding more as needed. Check the liquid occasionally and top up with a splash of hot stock or water if the pot starts drying out. Tender shanks need time—give them longer if they’re still firm.
