Middle Eastern Lamb Stew Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Season lamb with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add lamb and cook until golden brown all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Add onions, carrots, celery, and dill to Dutch oven; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker, along with garlic, thyme, wine, orange juice, lime, and saffron.
• Cover and cook on low until meat is falling apart and shreds easily, 7 to 8 hours (or on high 5 to 6 hours). Skim fat from surface. Serve stew over quinoa, topped with dill, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios.

Steps:

• Brown the lamb in oil and remove from pan.
• Sauté the onion, shallot (if using), and celery until soft and starting to brown.
• Add the wine, browned meat, carrots, sweet potatoes, and the cinnamon stick.
• Bring to a simmer, adding water if necessary.
• After about 20 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick and add spices, bay leaves, and if using, the almonds and cherries.
• Simmer until meat is tender and sweet potatoes are soft.

Steps:

• Trim any excess fat from lamb shanks and season generously with salt. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, rosebuds (if using), black pepper and turmeric. Sprinkle evenly over shanks and rub into meat. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour, or wrap and refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature.
• Place a Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. When oil is hot, add 2 lamb shanks and fry until nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside, then brown the 2 remaining shanks.
• Meanwhile, put saffron in a small bowl with lime juice, 2 teaspoons rosewater and 1/2 cup warm water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Carefully remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Season onion with salt, then add lime zest, orange zest, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in saffron mixture. Lay in the lamb shanks and add the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover pot.
• Transfer pot to oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, covered, until meat is tender when probed and beginning to fall from the bone. Remove lamb shanks to a deep serving dish and keep warm. Strain braising juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a wooden spoon to obtain all the liquid (discard thyme, bay leaves and onions). Skim fat, then taste and add salt if necessary. Add 1 more teaspoon rosewater, if desired. Reheat strained juices and pour over lamb shanks. Combine parsley, mint and reserved orange zest and sprinkle over top.
• Use a large spoon to break the tender shank meat into large chunks. Serve in low, wide soup plates, giving each portion a spoonful of the juices. Accompany with steamed Basmati rice, lavash flatbread or a loaf of crusty French bread.

Steps:

• Melt butter in medium stockpot, saute scallions & parsley until parsley turns dark green and fragrant.
• Add the cubed lamb & saute until lamb is just lightly browned.
• Add broth, lemon juice and coriander. Stir well, reduce heat and cover & simmer about 1 hr 15 minutes.
• Stir in the kidney beans, salt & pepper. Cover and simmer just until heated through.
• Serve over rice, if desired.