Braised And Browned Lamb With Peaches Food

BRAISED LAMB TACOS

Steps:

• Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, brown sugar, chile powder and tomatoes; whisk to combine. Put the lamb in a large nonreactive container and add the marinade; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the lamb and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the reserved marinade, the beer and jalapeno and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and braise until very tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Skim off any excess fat. Remove the lamb and pull the meat off the bone, discarding the bones and fat. Strain the liquid into a smaller pot and keep warm. Shred the meat with your fingers and transfer to a bowl. Pour the warmed braising liquid over the meat and toss to coat. Divide among corn tortillas and top with cilantro. Photograph by Charles Masters

LAMB WITH PEACHES

Steps:

• Place lamb in a 12-inch skillet (cast iron preferred) and turn heat to medium-high.
• Season with salt, and add cinnamon, cayenne, onion and wine (water).
• Bring to a boil, cover and adjust heat so the mixture simmers steadily.
• Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry (this probably means the heat is too high, turn it down a bit) When the meat feels tender when poked with a sharp knife, remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little.
• Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges.
• Stir in the peaches, and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon or lime juice and most of the parsley and cilantro.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Garnish with what's left of the herb and serve.

BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275F.
• Rub both sides of lamb shoulder chops with 1 to 2 garlic cloves, as needed. Rub with chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Dust both sides of chops with flour. In a large (10-inch) cast iron skillet, heat oil over high heat. When nearly smoking, add 2 lamb chops and sear, 4 minutes each side, until well-browned. Remove and repeat with remaining chops. Discard fat that has accumulated in pan.
• In skillet layer onions, half of tomato slices and lamb chops. Top with remaining tomato slices and pour wine and 1/2 cup water over. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and parsley stems. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil and roast for 3 hours.
• Cover top with potato slices, pushing them into liquid so they are completely submerged. Cover pan, return to oven and cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Using a large spoon, remove excess liquid and any fat from stew to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat and boil rapidly until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Before serving, broil lamb under a preheated broiler, 5 minutes or until potatoes are well-browned. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with sauce.

LAMB WITH PEACHES

Steps:

• Place lamb in a 12-inch skillet, and turn heat to medium-high. Season with salt, and add cinnamon, cayenne, onion and wine or water. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)
• When the meat feels tender when poked with a small sharp knife, remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high, and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches, and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon or lime juice and most of the parsley or cilantro. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Garnish with what's left of your chosen herb, and serve.

BRAISED LAMB WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a casserole dish add onion and saute until lightly browned.
• dust the lamb with the flour, salt and pepper and add to the onions. cook until meat is browned.
• add stock and simmer until until sauce has slightly thickened, about 20-30 minutes.
• add the sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and prunes.
• bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 mins more until meat is very tender.
• serve hot sprinkled with parsley with either rice or boiled potatoes.

FOUR & THIRTY BRAISED LAMB

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim the skin and as much fat as possible from the lamb. Smear lightly with olive oil and season. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a very large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb thoroughly on all sides, turning it with a big pair of tongs, then put it in a large, but fairly snug-fitting, casserole (a 4.8 litre/8 pint oval one is ideal). Reserve the pan.
• Slit lengthways through the first two layers of the leek, remove leaves and wash them. Put the bay leaf, thyme and celery inside one leaf and wrap with the other, to enclose the contents. Tie this 'faggot' with kitchen string and set aside. Rinse the rest of the leek and slice finely.
• Put the reserved frying pan over a low-medium heat and melt the butter. Tip in the onion, carrot and sliced leek and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened. Add them to the casserole, draining off any fat first. Reserve the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2/fan oven 130C. Break the garlic into cloves and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave for 1 minute, then drain, run under cold water and peel: the best way is to place a clove on a chopping board, nick off the root end and, without lifting the blade, pull the clove away. This removes the first bit of skin and the rest should come away easily. Set the cloves aside.
• Discard any fat from the frying pan and put it over a very high heat. Pour in the wine, scrape up any bits from the bottom and boil furiously for 5 minutes. Pour the wine and stock into the casserole. Add the garlic cloves and leek faggot, making sure they are immersed - the lamb should be at least half-covered. Do not add salt.
• Cover the casserole and put it into the oven. Braise for 4 hours, reducing the temperature to 140C/Gas 1/fan oven 120C for the last 2 hours and turning the lamb every hour. Remove the lamb, put it on a heated dish, drape loosely with foil and keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
• Strain 1 litre/13⁄4 pints of the cooking juices into a pan and bring to the boil over a very high heat. Bubble madly for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Meanwhile, tip the vegetable debris (but not the faggot) into a food processor and whizz to a smooth purée. Whisk this into the reduced liquid to make the sauce. Check the seasoning, then keep the sauce at a bare simmer until you are ready to serve.

DENNINGVLEIS (SWEET-AND-SOUR BRAISED LAMB WITH TAMARIND)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot set over medium heat. Season the lamb generously with salt and cook in the oil, in batches as necessary, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned lamb to a plate and set it aside. Once all the lamb is browned, add the onion and garlic to the empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, tamarind paste, sugar, and water to the pot and stir well to combine. Return the lamb (and whatever juices have collected on the plate) to the pot and stir well to combine. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the meat is wonderfully tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to uncover the pot and give the mixture a stir halfway through the cooking time. Season the lamb to taste with salt and serve hot.

BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Blanch the root vegetables:
• Place diced carrots, turnips, and parsnips in a large saucepan. Add sugar and salt and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to moderately high and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, then immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry. DO AHEAD: The root vegetables can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 24 hours.
• Roast the lamb:
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 275°F.
• Trim any excess fat from the lamb and sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron pan or skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until smoking. Working in 3 or 4 batches (wipe the pan clean and add 1 tablespoon oil between batches), sear the lamb, turning with tongs, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer as done to a large roasting pan. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, onions, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and lamb or beef stock. Place over high heat, using two burners, and bring to a simmer. Cover the roasting pan with foil, transfer to the oven, and roast until the meat is tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
• Allow the lamb to cool in its braising liquid for about 45 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer the lamb to a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on any solids. Discard the solids and return the braising liquid to the roasting pan. Skim any fat from the braising liquid, then place over high heat on two burners and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to moderate and simmer, uncovered, until the braising liquid is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. Check the seasoning, then lower the heat to low, return the lamb to the roasting pan, and cook until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
• While the lamb is heating, finish the root vegetables:
• In a medium sauté pan over moderate heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, parsnips, and turnips, and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve:
• Divide carrots, parsnips, and turnips among 8 plates. Arrange 1 lamb shoulder blade chop on each plate, then drizzle with reduced braising liquid and serve immediately.

BRAISED AND BROWNED LAMB WITH PEACHES

Steps:

• Put the lamb in a 12-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Season with salt and add the cinnamon, cayenne, onion, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily but not violently. Cook, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means that the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)
• After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, the meat should be tender when poked with a small, sharp knife; remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining bit of herb and serve.