Tag: lamb

Irish Lamb Stew

Irish Lamb Stew

Irish Lamb Stew

Considered the national dish, Irish Lamb Stew can be traced back as far as 1800; originally consisting of goat, potatoes, onions, parsley, and water. Lamb was later introduced to the stew by the wealthy. As the recipe progressed through time, other root vegetables were introduced, as well as a stout beer; typically Guiness.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: European, irish, lamb, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb cubed
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 12 oz stout beer
  • 4 cups lamb or beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 3 medium potatoes cubed
  • 2 medium carrots sliced
  • 1 medium turnip cubed
  • 4 medium parsnips sliced
  • 1/4 cup parsley chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat up the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the lamb until browned; about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pot.
  • Add in the onions. Brown for 5 minutes. Remove from the pot.
  • Melt the butter in the pot.
  • Whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Slowly add in the beer and stock, alternating between the two; scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the lamb and onions back in, along with the bay leaves and thyme. Simmer on medium low for 1 hour, covered.
  • Add the vegetables to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until tender.
  • Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine with Prunes

Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine with Prunes

Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine with Prunes

Lamb shanks are absolutely one of my favorite cuts. Cooking them in a tagine is a perfect way to get the meat to fall of the bone while requiring little added liquid. This recipe is a traditional Moroccan way of preparation, using preserved lemon, cumin, saffron, prunes, and almonds. To help speed up the cooking process, have your butcher cut your shanks into 3 pieces instead of leaving them whole. Serve the lamb shanks with couscous.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Moroccan
Keyword: lamb, main course, Moroccan, north african
Servings: 4
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • tagine

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1/2 preserved lemon finely chopped
  • 4 lamb shanks cut into 3 pieces
  • 1 tsp saffron mixed with 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup dried prunes
  • 1/4 cup parsley chopped
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

  • Melt the ghee in a tagine over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 10 minutes.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
  • Add in the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and preserved lemon. Cook for 1 minute.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
  • Add in the lamb shanks. Brown on all sides for 8 minutes.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
  • Pour in the saffron. Add in the prunes. Season with salt.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
  • Place the cover on the tagine. Put in a 275 degree preheated oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
  • Sprinkle the parsley and almonds on top of the lamb shanks.
    Moroccan, main course, lamb
Moroccan, main course, lamb
Serve the shanks with couscous.
Oak Smoked Boneless Leg of Lamb

Oak Smoked Boneless Leg of Lamb

Oak Smoked Boneless Leg of Lamb

This is the first time I’ve ever smoked a leg of lamb. Let me tell you, it may be the best leg of lamb I’ve ever eaten. It was brined, then stuffed with an herb mix of mint, parsley, shallots, and garlic. I used oak wood chips for smoking (oak adds a great flavor to lamb). The lamb gets slow smoked at 200 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Brining Time1 day
Course: Main Course
Keyword: electric smoker, lamb, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • food processor
  • Butchers Twine
  • Electric Smoker
  • Probe Thermometer

Ingredients

Brine

  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup shallots sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves crushed

Leg of Lamb

  • 4 lbs boneless leg of lamb
  • 1 bunch mint
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup shallots
  • 2 bay leaves

Wood Chips

  • oak

Instructions

  • Mix together the brining ingredients.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Brine the leg of lamb in a gallon sized storage bag for 24 hours.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Remove the leg from the brine and allow to dry on a rack in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Pulse the stuffing ingredients in a food processor a couple of times until everything is evenly chopped.
    Hmong, main course, fish
  • Stuff the inside of the lamb with the herb filling.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Tie up the leg of lamb with butchers twine.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Place in your leg of lamb. Allow the chips to ignite for 10 minutes. Turn down the heat to 200 degrees.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Smoke leg for 5-6 hours until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees with a probe thermometer. The wood chip will need to be changed out every 90 minutes.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
  • Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
    Smokers, main course, lamb
Smokers, main course, lamb
Smokers, main course, lamb
Smokers, main course, lamb
Serve the lamb with your favorite side.