Lamb Shoulder with Polenta

One of the best parts of life at the ranch is planning the day’s meals in advance. For the uninitiated, Big Sur is miles of rugged coastline, epic sunsets and ocean views. Unlike Brooklyn or New York City–with grocery stores, delivery and food options on every corner–stocking the pantry requires trips to town, as well as some foresight on who’s coming to dinner. 

Lamb is one of our favorite foods. With an earthy flavor that pairs well with red wine, root vegetables and starchy sides, it’s a hearty alternative to pork or beef roasts and stews that works for November or a snowy February. During Alison’s last visit to the West Coast, we took a day trip to Sonoma, where she picked up a copy of The Girl and the Fig cookbook. After making braised chicken with prunes, olives and capers this summer–which took a while to put together but was beyond satisfying–we knew we had to add a lamb dish to our winter menu.

The Girl and the Fig’s version calls for lamb shanks, but we substituted lamb shoulder, used gluten free flour for dredging the meat, and shortened the braise time to between one and two hours (depending on the thickness of the meat). You could opt for homemade polenta, but we used the Trader Joe’s version, adding cream and nutmeg, salt and pepper, and stirring to soften. It’s the perfect rainy night feast…or whenever you need some comfort food.

Serves: 3

3 lamb shoulders (or shanks)

¼ cup regular or gluten free flour

¼ cup olive oil

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped 

1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves

A handful of chopped fresh thyme and parsley leaves

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup of red wine

2 to 3 cups of chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Season the lamb shoulder with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sear the lamb shoulders until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion, fennel, carrots, garlic and fennel to the pan and cook over medium heat until they start to soften and carmelize, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme, parsley and tomato paste and cook until the veggies are softened. Deglaze the pan with red wine, and add the chicken stock. Return the lamb to the pan.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover with a lid. Braise in the oven for 1-2 hours, or until the meat is tender (turn every half hour, skimming off the extra fat as needed). Plate or serve on a large platter with veggies.

Adapted from The Girl and The Fig cookbook (Amazon, $15)
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