Before it makes it to your plate, locally grown lamb is typically raised by family farmers and ranchers. They have a shared passion for caring for their animals by providing them a good, free life unencumbered by the feedlots, confined housing or other components of industrial animal production that are typical of most cattle, pork and poultry factory operations. Grazing sheep improve pastures and rangeland by cycling vital nutrients back through the soil, minimizing erosion and encouraging native plant growth. When we choose locally sourced lamb, we support their efforts, their family operations and the rural communities in which they operate.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lamb shoulder roast
- 6 medium carrots or equivalent young carrots
- 4 medium onions
- 2 stalks celery, cut in ½-inch pieces, and some celery leaves if you have them
- 3 cups lamb stock or chicken stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 8 medium or 15 small potatoes, Yukon Gold or similar
- Sprig of thyme
- 1 tablespoon roux, optional (if stew doesn’t thicken from potatoes)
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Trim excess fat and cut the lamb into 1-inch chunks. Put excess fat into Dutch oven and render down. Discard the fat pieces. Peel onions and peel carrots if they are not organic. If onions and carrots are young and have some green stalks attached, leave some of those.
Cut carrots into large chunks; cut onions into small chunks. Scrub potatoes and quarter them if they are medium or halve if they are small.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and cook in hot rendered fat until brown. Transfer lamb to a plate. Add onions, celery and half the carrots in the pot and sauté for 5 minutes. Add back the meat, the crushed tomatoes, stock and wine and stir.
Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and the remaining carrots, cover and return to the oven for an additional 1 hour or until all vegetables are tender.
Slightly thicken with the roux if necessary.
Serve with crusty bread to capture juices.
