Dark, sticky stew | Jamie Oliver lamb stew recipes (2024)

FAQs

Which part of lamb is best for stew? ›

The best cuts for stewing are shoulder, leg or neck fillet – it needs to quite a hard-working muscle with some fat marbling through it that will break down during the slow cooking to create tender meat. It's also best with economical cuts that are boneless – keep saddle, rack and lamb chops for roasting.

The main difference between an Irish stew and classic beef stew comes down to the protein. Traditional Irish stew is usually made with lamb, while beef stew is always made with beef. Our version includes beef chuck, which is less traditional, but easy to make and equally delicious.

Starting fat side down, sear the lamb in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, turning regularly until gnarly all over but blushing in the middle, or use your instincts to cook to your liking.

Lay the lamb cutlets on a plate and sprinkle them with sea salt, black pepper, the mint and paprika. Finely grate over the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice, then drizzle with oil and massage the flavours into the chops. Leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Browning the meat doesn't take long and has some advantages, including a good looking, caramelised surface and richer coloured dish. It can also give a deeper flavour, and some say a better texture.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Irish stew (Irish: Stobhach Gaelach) or Stobhach is a stew native to Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but also commonly with beef. As in all traditional folk dishes, the exact recipe is not consistent from time to time, or place to place.

Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland.

Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet. The most common form of bread consisted of flatbread made from ground oats.

And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle. It comes out perfectly every time.

Should you sear lamb before slow cooking? ›

Sear the meat before braising for big flavor and a crusty caramelized exterior. Don't skip the searing step; it imparts such big flavor and good texture. Braise in a flavorful sauce! The secret to rich, addictive slow-cooked lamb shanks is in the sauce.

Some of the most popular lamb dishes include rack of lamb, lamb chops, lamb shank, lamb kebabs, and lamb curry. Whether you prefer your lamb slow-cooked and tender, or grilled to perfection, there are endless possibilities for creating delicious and satisfying meals with this versatile meat.

Acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt and wine weaken collagen and protein in meat. Once the proteins are broken by acid, one loose protein can bond with another and trap liquid in the meat, making it juicy and tender. Yay!

Baking soda / bi-carb and cornflour/cornstarch are the secret ingredients that tenderise the lamb meat. It's a technique called “velveting” that is used by Chinese restaurants, and it's the reason why the meat in your favourite Chinese dishes are always so soft.

Marinating the lamb in milk will draw out and settle some of its less pleasant smells and flavors.

Shoulder or leg of lamb: both of these cuts are perfect in a stew or casserole when diced. Meat from the shoulder needs to be trimmed of excess fat first; while meat from the leg gives neater, leaner pieces of meat than the shoulder. Both are meltingly tender with a fantastic flavour.

A generic term for various cuts of lamb that are suitable for long, slow cooking. Stewing meat is generally diced shoulder, neck fillet, shank or breast. For a leaner cut, diced leg also works well.

The first step is choosing the right cut of lamb to slow cook. Shoulders, shanks, and leg roasts are great for slow cooking. Leave lamb racks and chops for another recipe, as these leaner cuts won't give you the tender and moist results you want.

Tenderloin. Because it comes from an area that does very little work, tederloin has virtually no fat or connective tissue and is one of the most tender cuts of lamb. Delicate in flavour, tenderloin suits gentle, quick and dry cooking methods to retain its juiciness.