Lamb Stew

Yield: 8 servings

 

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

1.75 pounds lamb stew meat, trimmed of fat and any sheathing removed, cut in pieces 1/2”x 1/2” or less

 

4-6 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided

 

2 cups peeled and chopped onions

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

2 teaspoons garlic, peeled, and pressed or grated

 

3 cups (approximately 1.25 pounds) red potatoes, eyes and spots removed,  cut into 1/2” x 1/2″ or less pieces

 

6 cups chicken stock

 

1 3/4 cups (approximately 3 large) peeled, seeded and chopped poblano chili peppers (see below)

 

1 ½ cups (approximately 1 large) diced red bell pepper

 

 

Garnishes (optional)

 

Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
or

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

 

 

Steps

1. Place flour and pepper in a bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
2. Dredge the lamb in the seasoned flour and place on a plate.
3. Heat a very large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil.
4. When the oil shimmers, add onions. Sprinkle with salt.
5. Saute until translucent. Reserve in a Dutch oven.
6. Heat cast iron skillet to medium high. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
7. When the oil shimmers, add a single layer of the dredged lamb.
8. Brown each side of the lamb pieces (3-4 minutes per side).
9. Transfer browned pieces to the Dutch oven with the onions.
10. Repeat steps 6-9 until all lamb pieces are browned and placed in the Dutch oven with the onions.
11. Drain oil from skillet. Measure. Place 2 tablespoons oil back in the skillet.
12. Add 3 tablespoons flour to skillet.
13. Stir flour until it turns chocolate brown while scraping fond from bottom of the skillet.
14. Add garlic to flour rue.
15. Add chicken stock to skillet .
16. Bring stock to a boil and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any remaining fond (brown bits) from the bottom. Whisk stock until it becomes a gravy
17. Add gravy to the Dutch oven.
18. Place Dutch oven over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
19. Cover. Turn heat down to low.
20. Simmer for 30 minutes.
21. Drain potatoes and add them to the ingredients in the Dutch oven.
    Increase heat to medium. Bring mixture back up to a simmer.
22. Cover.
23. Simmer until meat and potatoes are done (when they can easily be pierced with a fork and the lamb is tender  (about 20 – 30 minutes – time will vary according to the size of the pieces of meat and of the potatoes).
24. Stir in the peppers. Simmer for 3 minutes.
25. Remove from heat.
26. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
27. Place in ice box overnight.
28. Heat through.
29. Plate.
30. Garnish (optional).
31. Serve with prepared rice, egg noodles, sopping bread, or biscuits.

 

Removing pepper skins

1. Choose fresh peppers without blemishes.
2. Wash peppers and dry them.
3. Cut peppers in half, longitudinally.
4. Remove peduncle (stem), calyx, placenta, Caspian glands, and ovule (seeds).
5. Place peppers, skin side down, in a single layer on the rack of a hot grill.
6. Roast the peppers until the skin side is blistered and charred.
7. Remove peppers and place in a bowl. Cover with a plate and allow the peppers to steam for 5 minutes.
8. Peppers should be cool enough to handle after steaming, or soon thereafter.
9. Remove a single pepper half and peel off the skin. Discard skin. Reserve peeled pepper half on a cutting board.
10. Repeat process until all pepper halves are peeled.
11. Roughly chop peppers and reserve in ice box until ready for use in the receipt.