Shoulder Of Lamb Braised In Chianti Recipes

ROSEMARY AND THYME BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Roast lamb:
• Make slits in lamb shoulder all over at 2-inch intervals with a paring knife.
• Pound garlic with kosher salt, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a coarse paste with mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife), then stir together with oil and 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and thyme. Rub paste all over lamb. Put in heavy pot or roasting pan, then chill, covered, 12 to 24 hours.
• Bring roast to room temperature (about 1 hour).
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third.
• Pour wine and water around lamb and add herb sprigs. Cover roast with a sheet of parchment. Cover pot with lid or cover roasting pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Braise lamb in oven until tender but not falling off the bone, about 3 hours.
• Increase oven to 450°F and remove parchment, then braise lamb, covered with lid (or foil), until very tender and top is browned, about 1 hour more. Carefully transfer lamb to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Let it stand 10 minutes.
• Make sauce:
• Pour braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, then spoon off and discard fat remaining on liquid (you should have about 2 cups liquid; reserve pot). Whisk together flour and 1 cup liquid in a small bowl until smooth. Bring remaining liquid to a boil in uncleaned pot, then whisk in flour mixture and boil, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve:
• Remove and discard strings. Meat is too tender to slice with a carving knife; use a meat fork to pull meat into serving pieces.

SHOULDER OF LAMB BRAISED IN CHIANTI

Steps:

• Salt and pepper the lamb. Warm the olive oil in a wide-bottomed pot. When the oil is very hot, add the lamb. Brown the meat well on all sides over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan.
• Add the carrot, celery, shallot, garlic and thyme and cook over low heat, loosening any brown pan crust with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the meat to the pan and stir in the flour. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Raise the heat to high, add the Chianti and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 2 hours. Remove the meat from the sauce, discard the thyme and puree the sauce in a food processor. Return the meat to the sauce, stir in the vinegar and serve. Can be made a day in advance and gently re-warmed.