If you are like me, you've lived most of your life feeling intimidated by the thought of serving lamb. Though I have ordered it in restaurants, I have generally avoided bringing it in to my kitchen. Lamb cooked properly, it is a delectable delight, cooked poorly, it is a gamey, tough mess.
Recently, I had the good fortune of meeting a Lebanese woman, for whom lamb had always been a central source of protein. She shared with me that the key to cooking lamb is to braise it...that is, to let it cook low and slow, letting the meat break down and absorb all of the wonderful flavors of the cooking liquid. I decided to set aside my trepidation and give it a try. It was fabulous!
The thing about braising is that it is more of a methodology than a strict recipe. The amount of liquid and seasoning will vary, depending upon the size of the cut of meat. One rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the braising liquid is halfway up the side of the meat when you slip it in to the oven. Also, it's great to use a heavy pan like a Dutch Oven to help with even heat distribution.
Basic Braised Lamb
Start by selecting a cut of meat. Generally, a leg or portion of a leg is best for this recipe...this is not the time to use a rack of lamb. Then, gather the following ingredients:
Leg of Lamb
Olive Oil
1 bottle of good red wine (try a French Bordeax, Italian Chianti, or Spanish Rioja)
8 oz good beef stock
1 head of garlic, cut in half
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery (with leaves), chopped
4 dried bay leaves
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
Start by bringing the Dutch Oven to temperature over medium heat. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Thoroughly salt and pepper the leg of lamb. Add olive oil and the leg of lamb to the pan. Brown on all sides.
When lamb is browned, add wine and stock until it reaches halfway up the side of the lamb. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teasoon of ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook the lamb in a 275 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours (depending upon size). Remove from oven and take lamb out of the remaining liquid. Set aside. Strain remaining liquid and serve au jus.
*photo by adactio
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