Lamb Pita Pockets with Tomato-Ginger Compote

By BobD

City Winery chef Andres Barrera slow-roasts lamb until tender, then stuffs it into warm pitas along with pickled red onions, feta cheese and a bright-flavored tomato-ginger compote (also great on a burger or cheese plate).

Ingredients

• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• Kosher salt
• Four 1-pound lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 warmed pita breads, halved
• Tomato-Ginger Compote, for serving
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 150mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small bowl, mix the lemon zest with the oregano, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and 2 teaspoons of salt. Rub the mixture all over the lamb shanks.

In a large enameled, cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the shanks and cook over moderately high heat, turning a few times, until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Cover and bake the shanks in the oven for about 2 hours, until very tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the onion with the vinegar; season with salt. Let stand at room temperature, tossing a few times, until softened, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the lamb shanks to a bowl. Set the casserole over high heat. Add the water and boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Pour the liquid into a small bowl and skim the fat from the surface.

Pull the meat from the bones in large shreds, discarding the fat and gristle. Transfer the lamb to a bowl. Add the cooking juices and toss well. Season with salt.

Spoon the shredded lamb into the pita and spread a thick layer of the Tomato-Ginger Compote on top. Garnish with the pickled red onion and feta and serve.

TOMATO GINGER COMPOTE

1 quart water
2 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt

In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the compote has thickened and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and season with salt. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.