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How to slow cook lamb
The results of slow cooking lamb can be spectacular, as anyone that has enjoyed a braised lamb shoulder for Sunday lunch will attest. Cooking the meat in this way helps to develop deep flavours and produces tender, succulent meat. The most suitable cuts of meat from a lamb are those that have been ‘used’ by the lamb during its life, as these are tougher cuts and have lots of connective tissue. Browning the lamb prior to slow cooking caramelises the meat adding flavour to the final dish.
Cuts of lamb used for slow cooking include shoulder of lamb, lamb shanks, diced leg of lamb, middle neck of lamb and lamb belly.
Here we give a recipe for a lamb casserole, one of the most traditional ways to slow cook lamb.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- 1 onion, peeled an roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 leek, roughly chopped
- 800g of lean diced lamb leg, or shoulder
- 1l chicken stock
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 150˚C/gas mark 2
2
Place a large frying pan over a high heat and add a little vegetable oil
3
Once hot, separately brown the vegetables and meat until dark golden in colour
4
Remove the seared meat and add 100ml of the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and using a wooden spoon, scrape the base of the pan to release any caramelised pieces stuck to the base
5
Add the vegetables, meat, braising liquid and remaining stock to a casserole dish or slow cooker, season and cover
6
Cook for approximately 3 hours. Check on the lamb and baste from time to time, topping up the liquid if it reduces down
7
If the meat is still not tender after the cooking time, continue to cook, checking every 15 minutes
Variations
William Drabble uses lamb neck in his Lamb, potato and pearl barley stew whereas Phil Cornegie stews his lamb shoulder ‘Moroccan style’.
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