Slow-cooked Jamaican lamb necks with fried green bananas

I was inspired to make this dish after I saw a recipe shared for Jamaican ox-tail recently.

The dish I saw, served ox-tails with fried plantains. I did lamb necks and fried green bananas.

I’ve never used lamb necks as a cut of meat at home before, but they’re cheap and have marrow through the centre you can eat (if you’re so inclined), and so they’re a highly nutritious meat for the whole family to eat. (Get that marrow into bubba’s!).

I couldn’t get my hands on plantains here in Noosa, so, knowing the texture and flavour of a plantain (chalky and a little floury… kind of a cross between a white sweet potato and an underripe banana), I decided to fry green (un-ripe) bananas in coconut oil. This breaks their chalky starch down, and softens the fruit.

When cooked, they’re soft but they aren’t sweet at all. It’s like eating an entirely different food There’s a very delicate flavour of banana however it is perfect for a savoury meal. All in all, a great call by me. ;)

The rice salad I made to go alongside it was delish!

Here’s the recipe.

I have quite the spice cupboard built up and so I had all of the fixings for a ‘Jerk’ inspired seasoning. I’ll share what I used for this one dish but now that we know we LOVE it (I’ll make a 4X portion in the future).

If you need to build up your spice cupboard, it is SO worth it. Go hard. Go all in. Buy it all up. Once you have your stocks up, you’ll not regret it.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

• 2tsp onion powder

• 2tsp tablespoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 tsp teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (or use 1 teaspoon ground thyme)

• 1 teaspoons coconut sugar, brown sugar or monkfruit sweetener.

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• pinch of ground nutmeg

• pinch of ground clove

• pinch of ground cumin

MEAT:
I cooked a batch with 8 pieces of free-range lamb neck and Cam and I ate two each with chopped lettuce, avocado, warm rice salad and fried green bananas.

TOTAL INGREDIENTS:

• 8 Lamb necks

• 1 portion of jerk seasoning

• 1/2 cup tomato passata (Or diced tinned, tomatoes)

• 1tbs coconut oil

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frypan over medium-high heat. Add lamb-necks and fry until golden on each side. This will take a few minutes each side.

2. Add the jerk spice mix to the top once you’ve turned them over.

3. Place into the slow-cooker on on medium heat

4. Deglaze the frypan with the tomato passata

5. Cook for 5 hours, turn once if you are home, but they will be fine if you leave them on one side.

6. Serve and be AMAZED!!!
   

FRIED GREEN BANANAS

To cook the fried green bananas, simply peel green bananas, slice thickly, heat up 2tsp coconut oil in a heavy based frypan and fry on each side until golden.