Vanilla Braised Lamb

Casseroles don't make the prettiest pictures even though they can taste sensational. As did this lamb casserole we had for dinner this week.  The original recipe from Valli Little in Delicious  magazine calls for beef cheeks and suggests ordering them from your butcher. Not wanting to wait for beef cheeks I  decided to go ahead using lamb neck chops.  Never having eaten beef cheeks I have no idea what they are like. I suspected they would produce a gelatinous casserole and a neck chops were a meat on the bone that could take long slow cooking.

VANILLA BRAISED LAMB
6 lamb neck chops
2 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion and 1 carrot,chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
2 cups (500ml) good quality beef stock
1 vanilla bean, split
1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 each of thyme sprigs and bay leaves

Preheat oven to 180C.
Pat lamb dry with with paper towels, then toss in seasoned flour.
Heat oil in large flameproof casserole.
Cook lamb in batches, over medium heat for 2 minutes each side or until sealed.Remove meat from casserole and stir in onion, carrot and garlic for 1 minute.
Add wine, stock, vanilla, sugar and herbs. Bring to the boil and return lamb to the pan.
Place a circle of baking paper on the surface and cover with a lid.
Cook in oven for 2 hours.
Remove lamb and reduce sauce over high heat for 2 - 3 minutes until slightly reduced. (Mine didn't need reducing.)
Check seasoning and return lamb to pan.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Could Valli Little, food editor of Delicious Magazine, be the new Donna?   This is the second  Valli recipe I've made this week. And I have bookmarked a couple more of her recipes to try soon.