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Okay, I labeled this as intermediate because it does take some time and patience, and that can be hard to come by as a beginner-but that doesnt mean its not for beginners!
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!
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If you cant tell already, its your basic stew.
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Most of the ingredient amounts can be changed around to your taste, and if you prefer, you can always change the spices up to make it more ethnic if you like.
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Bear with me, this is the first recipe Ive ever written down-no joke!
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Here goes!
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1.
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If you purchased your lamb pre-cubed, you can skip this step.
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Otherwise, cut the lamb into uniform sized cubes, the size is your choice, but I prefer pieces about the size of a whole pecan.
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2.
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Dry, season and lightly flour the lamb.
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Its important that it be dry pre-cooking.
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You need just enough flour on the pieces of meat to lightly coat them.
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The flour will give the lamb a nice brown color, and help thicken everything towards the end.
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3.
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In a heated pan, add approximately 1 pat of butter, and once its melted, lightly brown the lamb on medium heat.
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Do not cook it all the way through!!
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It will get tough!
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Once its just slightly browned all over, parts may be slightly pink, remove and set aside.
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4.
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Add the carrots, onion, and celery (aka mirepoix) to the pan and saute on medium heat until the celery is soft (dont worry about the carrots cooking through right now).
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You dont have to, but you can remove all the veggies for the next step.
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I did, but I cant imagine it makes a HUGE difference.
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5.
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By now theres a lot of stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan.
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Add in just enough red wine to the pan (still on the heat) to de-glaze.
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You may have to scrape the stuff off a little, I suggest you use a wooden spoon.
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6.
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Now, add everything (meat, and mirepoix if you removed it) back into the pan and add your tomatoes and herbs.
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7.
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Cover, check your seasoning and let simmer on low heat for about 30-45 minutes.
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Like they say, low and slow makes for super tender meat!
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Take this opportunity to pre-heat your oven to 350F.
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8.
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Optional: if at the end of cook time the liquid isnt as thick as you like, remove meat and heat the liquid on high heat to reduce.
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It should thicken pretty quickly.
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Also, keep in mind that reducing will intensify the saltiness.
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9.
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Homestretch!
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You should only need one pie crust (most packages come with 2), but if you want a top and bottom, go for it.
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Roll out your crust and remember to poke it with a fork so it can vent.
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10.
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In whatever oven-safe dish you like, pour in the lamb stew and cover with your pie crust.
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You may have to trim the crust so you dont have excess crust hanging out, but I just threw the scraps on top because I like a lot of crust.
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11.
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Throw it in the oven until its light brown around the edges (about 15-20 minutes), and then its DONE.
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12.
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Remove and let it cool for a few minutes.
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Serve with whatever you like!
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I did mashed potatoes because who doesnt love stew and potatoes?
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?
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The End.
