Aga cooking time help!

[catanddog]

We have inherited an Aga in our new house, and I'm still getting to grips with it! Have some family coming over at the weekend and was going to do some slow-roasted lamb shanks. In conventional oven I'd cook the for about 2 1/2 hours, but how long in the simmering oven? Have read recipes that say the same time as I would in my old oven, but others say 8 hours/overnight in the simmering oven, but that sounds like they'd become horridly dry! Any advice aga owners?

[catanddog]

Bumping!

[Lovage]

I haven't cooked on an aga since I was a teenager but I think the only thing we ever did in the simmering oven alone was really cool things like meringues. What we did do was start things off in the hot oven (for about half an hour?) so they got hot through - then move them into the simmering hour to cook more slowly and gently. That might work well for 'slow-roasted'.

[alexw]

Agree with lovage. Start in roasting oven and then move to simmering. Meat is fine for 4, 5, 6 hours doesn't need as long as 8 iMessage.

[nomdemere]

Aga owner here - I agree with the first two posters. Half an hour in the roasting oven will make sure the meat gets to a safe temperature. Then into the simmering oven. If the dish is tightly covered (e.g. using a lidded Aga casserole dish) it won't dry out because it won't lose liquid. 5 hours or so will be lovely, I have often left things a lot longer (e.g. if we're out for the day) and they are just fine.

We use the simmering oven all the time - for casseroles, to make tomato sauce for pizza pasta, to steam potatoes and other root veg. I put the Xmas pud (tightly wrapped) in there for 8 hours, straight from the fridge and it is always scrumptious.