2.5lbsof lamb neck or shouldercut into 3-4 oz pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoonof cooking or rendered lamb fatplus more as needed
1cupred wine
2cupslamb stock
3ozlamb bacon or regular bacon chopped
1teaspoonfresh thyme chopped
1large clove of garliccrushed or grated
8ozpearl white onionspeeled and trimmed
8ozfresh mushroomssuch as honey mushrooms or your favorite variety
1.5tablespoon cooking oil
1.5tablespoonall purpose flour
Serving
Mashed potatoes or another starch
Roasted carrots or root vegetables
Instructions
Season the meat
Season the lamb meat all over with salt and pepper, then put in a bowl, add the wine and refrigerate overnight.
Brown the meat
The next day remove the lamb and drain on a paper towel. Heat a little oil in a large, heavy pan (such as cast iron). Brown the meat well on all sides on high heat, working in batches and taking your time.
Once the meat has browned, transfer it to a plate and reserve.
In a small bowl, mix the oil or melted fat with the flour until it forms a paste. Reserve until needed.
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Build the stew
In a wide braising pan (such as a satoir or a dutch oven), render the lamb bacon for a few minutes until it begins to crisp. Drain the fat from the bacon and reserve it for cooking the onions and mushrooms (if desired). Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute more.
Add the lamb meat, stock, wine, and thyme to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Put a lid on the pan and bake for 2-2.5 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
Peel the onions
About 20 minutes before the meat is done, peel the onions and sauté them in the bacon fat until they start to brown (about 5 minutes). Remove the onions to a bowl to cool. Heat a little more oil in the pan and add the mushrooms, cooking until they have released their juices and are starting to brown.
Remove the pan of lamb meat from the oven and put it on the burner. Skim any fat from the surface and discard it.
Add the flour paste and beat it into the cooking liquid with a fork. Turn the heat up to medium-high and reduce the sauce until it reaches your desired consistency.
Add the mushrooms and onions
Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are tender. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper until it tastes good to you.
Serving
Serve with mashed potatoes or another starch, and roasted carrots or root vegetables.
Notes
This can be made with many different cuts of lamb. Neck and shoulder are the best, but shanks or stew meat will work too.When serving, sometimes I like to garnish it with a little horseradish sour cream, as pictured.