- 10
Ingredients
- 2 lamb shoulder roasts, totaling 5 to 6 lbs (see note below)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 oz thickly sliced bacon
- 6 chicken wings, second joints and tips only
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 10 to 12 sprigs thyme
- 1/4 C. flour
- 3 T. tomato paste
- 2 C. water or broth
- 1 C. red wine
- Arrowroot or potato starch if needed for thickening gravy
Preparation
Step 1
Note: Have the butcher bone and tie the shoulder roasts to save space and make the cooking easier.
Can be made one day ahead. Separate from sauce. Reheat slowly.
Season the shoulder roasts lightly with
salt and pepper. Blanch the bacon in
boiling water for 2 minutes and drain it well. Cut it into 1/4-inch pieces. Cut the chicken wings into 2 or 3 pieces each.
In a large casserole, arrange the bacon and chicken wing pieces around the bottom with the onions, garlic and thyme. Sprinkle with the flour.
To make the roasts easier to remove later, cover the onion mixture with a double sheet of cheesecloth. Place the should roasts on top, folding the edges of the cheesecloth over them. Mix the tomoato paste with the water or broth and pour it into the pot along with the red wine. Tear off a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and tightly cover the meat with it, turning up the edges so the condensation from the inside of the lid will catch in it rather than dilute the cooking liquid.
Cover the pot (weight the lid if possible) and put it in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 275F and continue cooking for 7 hours. After about 5 hours, check to make sure the liquid has not completely evaporated. Add more water or broth if necessary.
When the lamb is finally done, it will be very tender. Carefully lift out the aluminum foil to avoid spilling any liquid left. Lift out the meat to a platter with the help of the cheesecloth. Put it in the turned-off oven to keep warm.
To make the sauce, strain the liquid left in the casserole, pressing the vegetables to extract as much of the juice as possible. Defat the juices. If the liquid is very concentrated, it may not need to be thickened. (If it needs a little thickening dissolve arrowroot or potato starch in an equal amount of water and stir it onto the simmering sauce 1 tsp. at a time, waiting between additions to see how it thickens.) Taste for seasoning.
Serve the lamb with a little of the sauce, accompanied by the Mushroom Ragout and the Broccoli with Pearl Onions.