Lamb Ragout With Fillo Crust Recipes

LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch over over medium-high heat.
• Season lamb shoulder with salt and pepper; cook in hot oil until well-browned on all sides, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove shoulder to a platter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir onion, celery, carrot, fennel, and garlic into the rendered fat remaining in the Dutch oven; season with salt. Cook and stir the vegetables in the hot fat, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any dark bits of meat stuck, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Return lamb shoulder to the Dutch oven along with any juices accumulated on the platter; add tomatoes and white wine. Bundle marjoram, thyme, and rosemary together with kitchen twine; add to the Dutch oven and submerge in liquid. Place a cover on the Dutch oven, bring the liquid in it to a boil, and transfer pot to the oven.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Pour 1 cup water into the Dutch oven and continue cooking for 1 hour more.
• Remove lamb to a cutting board, cut into small pieces, and return to the Dutch oven. Pour remaining 1 cup water over the lamb and stir.
• Cook until lamb is tender, about 30 minutes more.
• Stir rosemary, orange zest, and red pepper flakes into the lamb mixture. Add more water if the mixture is too thick.

LAMB RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter and brown lamb over high heat.
• Add garlic and rosemary, stir for 30 seconds.
• Add wine and stir, mix in beef broth and tomato puree.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Remove cover,increase heat to medium high and cook until sauce begins to thicken.
• Add tomatoes and olives and cook 5 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and serve.

QUICK LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
• Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.

AMAZING SLOW-COOKED ITALIAN LAMB RAGOUT AND PASTA

Steps:

• Begin by heating the olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium high heat. Once heated (oil should be shimmering), add the meat and brown on all sides. You may have to do this in two batches.
• Once the meat is browned, throw in the onions, carrots, celery and herbs. Stir and continue cooking until the veggies are softened (takes about 7-10 minutes for me). Add garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic fragrance is lovely, but don't overcook.
• Next, take a sip of your wine to make sure it still tastes good (optional) and pour in the two glasses of red wine.
• Now, deglaze the bottom of your pan scraping up all those goodies.
• Cook the wine down until it is mostly evaporated. It will take a bit, depending on your stove maybe 20 minutes. It should smell and look terrific by now.
• Carefully add your plum tomatoes and stir slowly and softly so as not to break them up.
• Toss in the pearl barley (if using) and stir.
• Now, cover the pieces of meat with about a 1/2 inch of water.
• Remember that cartouche that you made, wet it and then rub with oil. Place in the pot on the surface, cover and cook on simmer for three hours.
• Next, carefully remove the lid and cartouche (place it on a plate). Give the sauce a stir and check your braised meat. The meat should be "fall apart" tender.
• Also, now is a good time to throw on the pot of pasta water.
• If your meat needs additional cooking time, re-cover with the cartouche and cook another 1/2 hour.
• Now, check your seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper as required.
• Place cooked meat in a bowl and cool slightly. Next, pull the meat apart using two forks until you get it the way you desire.
• While the meat cools, you may need to continue cooking with the ragout with the lid and cartouche off your pot to reduce the sauce to the consistency you wish.
• Stir your pulled meat back into your perfect sauce. Taste! Adjust seasonings if needed.
• Your sauce is ready and the Pasta is cooking, so toss in the butter and stir until the ragout is fully mixed and shiny.
• Then throw in the cheese stir and remove from the heat.
• Drain your pasta* (saving a cup of liquid) and slide it into the ragout, tossing the pasta with the sauce until mixed (add pasta water if needed).
• Finally, garnish with a little finely chopped fresh rosemary and Parmesan. Tuck in!

HAZELNUT-CRUSTED RACKS OF LAMB WITH TOMATO-OLIVE RAGOûT

Steps:

• Prepare lamb:
• Mix 1 cup oil, rosemary and garlic in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add to marinade; turn to coat on all sides. Cover and chill overnight, turning occasionally.
• Grind bread in processor until small crumbs form. Combine 2 cups crumbs (reserve and remaining crumbs for another use), parsley, nuts and shallots in processor. Process until nuts are finely ground. Gradually add 2 tablespoons oil; process until crumbs begin to stick together. Transfer to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil toss gently to coat. (Coating can made 1 day ahead. Cover, chill.)
• Make tomato-olive ragout:
• Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic and dried red pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Add fennel and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and olives. Increase heat and bring to gentle boil. Cook until onions are tender and juices thicken, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, about 18 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover, chill. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Final preparation:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Remove lamb from marinade. Add lamb to skillet with some marinade still coating lamb. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes per side. (If necessary, brown 1 rack at a time.) Using tongs, transfer lamb to baking sheet; cool 15 minutes. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard over rounded side of each rack; firmly press half of breadcrumb coating into mustard on each rack.
• Roast lamb until meat thermometer inserted into center of lamb registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 25 minutes. Let lamb rest 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix basil and butter into warm ragout; stir until butter melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cut lamb between bones into individual chops. Divide chops among 4 plates. Spoon ragout alongside chops and serve.