Lamb Stew with Merlot, Porcini Mushrooms and Bacon
Doug Roese / Lakewinds Natural Foods
A little work goes a long way here; a very special meal. Serve with good, warm bread and green salad.
yield: serves 2-3
VARIATION: You can use beef stew meat (you'll need only a pound since it doesn't need trimming). Just increase oven time to 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
Ingredients
3 oz. bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 lb. lamb shoulder (= 1 lb. trimmed meat )
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 med. red onion, 1" chop
1/3 lb young carrots, 1/4" discs
1 1/2 cups merlot
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 clove mashed garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 dry)
1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes (large ones cut in half)
Instructions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 450°F
Trim meat off of bones and fat, going for 2" cubes. Youll have about a pound of fat and bones left over. You could brown in oven and simmer with todays beef stock to fortify it, or freeze for soup later.
In a saucepan, heat the wine, beef stock and mushrooms. Simmer 10 minutes. Pull out mushrooms and slice big ones in half. Reserve. Keep liquid very hot.
Cut bacon widthwise into 1/4" strips. Blanch in a few cups simmering water for 5 minutes, then drain on paper towels and dry.
In butter in a casserole, sauté the bacon for 5 minutes. With slotted spoon, drain and pull out of pot (place on a cookie sheet), keeping as much fat in pot as possible.
Dry your cubes of lamb, and over high heat, brown 1/2" at a time (about 5 minutes), pulling out and reserving with bacon. In same fat, sauté the onion.
Spread the meat out, salt and pepper it, and then sprinkle on and mix in flour. Place in oven for 5 minutes. Pull out of oven and TURN DOWN OVEN TO 325°F
Now put everything (meat, wine/stock, all veggies, porcini, thyme, garlic, tom. paste) into casserole. On stovetop, bring to simmer, cover with lid or foil, and put in 325° oven for about 2 hours.
With slotted spoon, pull out veggies and meat, and simmer sauce while removing as much fat as you can. Boil down over high if needs thickening, or add stock if too thick. Combine ingredients and serve with crusty bread and salad. Or over egg noodles if so inclined.