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Coating meat with flour seals in juices and flavor. Put flour, salt and pepper into a plastic bag - add stewing beef - seal bag and shake well to coat. If necessary, do it batches.
Use apple juice or cider.
Fruity ingredients are most often combined with white meats like pork, chicken and lamb. Very popular in N. African dishes.
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Content
OVERVIEW
Lamb is usually very tender because the sheep are very young (5-12 months old) and so the muscles (i.e., meat) weren't well developed. Spring Lamb is milk-fed and is slaughtered between 3 and 5 months of age. Mutton are sheep older than 1 year but typically are slaughtered by age 2. The older a sheep gets, the tougher the meat and gamier the taste. Leg, Loin, Ribs, Shoulder, and Shank cuts are cooked by dry heat, usually roasted or broiled. Shoulder chops can also be braised. Breast, Shank (from the bottom section of the front legs - an inexpensive and flavorful cut) and Neck cuts are usually cooked by moist heat methods, simmering or braising. Lamb is usually cooked at low, moderate temperature around 170°. Slow cooking ensures a tender, juicy, evenly coloured and delicious final product.
Brown meat in a pan or skillet first, this seals in the flavors - it takes about 4 minutes - coating with flour is optional. If you're not going to tend to the dish and will be slow cooking the meal for most of the day, you can add everything into the pot at once. Large cuts of beef, pork and lamb need to cook for 2 - 3 hours. Adding the vegetables 1 hour before serving is best. Fresh and frozen greens only need about 15 minutes, along with instant rice.
EQUIPMENT: Use a cast iron skillet, flameproof casserole dish, crock pot or Dutch oven. You can cok stews on the stove top or in the oven at 300-degrees.
Hotchpotch, also known as "Hairst Bree," meaning harvest broth in Scotland. At summer's end, the Scots gathered fresh vegetables and added freshly slaughtered meat into a light broth for a fresh stew/soup. This term is also used in Dutch cooking.
CORE INGREDIENTS: 1½ lbs lamb >1 onion-sliced, >1½ lbs new potatoes-thinly sliced, >2 c green peas, >1 med caulifower-chopped, >1 c turnips >1 c water or vegetable broth, >2 tb olive oil or spray; SEASONINGS: 2 ts mint, >2 tb thyme (the Scots aren't big on spices). OPTIONS: add some cabbage to the pot 30 minutes before serving. Traditionally, rutabagas and in some regions oysters, lamb kidneys, broad beans, and ham bones are also added to the mix.
DIRECTIONS: Brown lamb. Layer half the potatoes on the bottom of oven-proof dish or crockpot; combine the meat, broth and spices and place on potatoes; place remaing potatoes on top and spray with olive oil. Cook at 350 for 2 hours. Salt & pepper to taste.
CORE INGREDIENTS: 1 lb, > 5 cups vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery), >½ yellow or green pepper, >1 ½ c water or veg broth, >2 tomatoes-chopped, 2 ts tomato paste, 1 garlic clove-crushed >¼ c flour or arrowroot (thickener).
SEASONINGS: 1 bay leaf, >1 tb balsamic vinegar, >½ ts sage, >½ ts dill.
DIRECTIONS: Brown lamb. Combine all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high or 5 hours on LOW. Stir in flour/arrowroot 5 minutes before serving to thicken. Salt & pepper to taste. Can be served over cooked rice.
CORE INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs lamb-cubed, >12 oz shallots-whole, >12 prunes, >2 c chicken or veg broth. OPTIONS: dried apricots, raisins, ½ ts cayenne pepper, 1 ts turmeric, 1/2 c blanched almonds, 1/2 c dates, 1/2 c olives, saffron. You can also replace the lamb with PORK.
SEASONINGS: 1 bay leaf, >1 ts cinnamon, >1 ts cumin, >1 ts ginger, >¼ ts nutmeg, >1 tb orange juice concentrate, >1 tb honey, >½ ts sage, >½ ts dill.
DIRECTIONS: Brown lamb. Combine all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high or 5 hours on LOW. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice or couscous.
CORE INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs, >1 red & 1 yellow pepper-sliced, 6 ox green beans, > 1 onion-chopped, > 1 garlic clove-chopped.
SEASONINGS: 2 tb peanut, sesame or canola oil, >2 ts ginger, >1 ts Chinese five-spice, >1 tb hoisin sauce, >1 tb soy or tamari sauce, >4 tb rice wine or sherry or red wine.
DIRECTIONS: Cut lamb in strips and brown, transfer to a plate Add oinion, peppers, and ginger - sauté for 3-4 minutes; add beans and fry for 2 more minutes. Return lamb to skillet and add five-spice and liquid ingredients, stirring constantly until lamb is tender. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles. Top with sesame seeds, if you have them.
INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs lamb-cubed, >4 med onions-minced, >½ c yogurt, >2/3 c milk, > 2 /12 c water, >5 tb veg ghee or oil, >2 garlic cloves-crushed, >1½ ts ginger, >½ ts tumeric, 2 ts cumin, 3 green cardamons, > 4 tb lemon juice, >2 geen chilis, >2 ts garam masala, >1 ts gr cloves, > 1 lb basmati rice, >1 ts saffron. BUILDING ON A THEME: add 12 sm new potatoes-sliced.
DIRECTIONS: Boil milk with saffron and set aside. Heat ghee or oil in a pan and carmalize onions. Remove half of the onions and ghee/oil from pan and set aside. Combine lamb, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and turmeric in a bowl and mix. Add lamb mixture to the heated oil in pan and sauté, stirring for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add water and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure meat is tender - if not - add more water until done. Cook until water is evaporated.
Meanwhile, add rice to a pot with appropriate amount of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. 15 minutes before the rice is cooked, add remaining ingredients and mix, add lamb mixture and fried onions on top of the rice and simmer until done. (Lamb can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated.)
CORE INGREDIENTS: 1 lb lamb-cubed, >2 garlic cloves-chopped, >2 scallions, >8 oz coconut milk, >1 ½ c boiling water, >2 ts ginger, >2 tb green curry paste, >juice of 1 lime or 2 oz concentrate, >2 tb cilantro-chopped. OPTIONS: add some cashew nuts, tiny potato pieces.
DIRECTIONS: Combine coconut milk and boiling water in a container. Cut lamb in strips, sauté in skillet with garlic, ginger, scallions and curry paste for 3 minutes. Stir in coconut mixture and add lime juice. Bring to a boil, stiring constantly, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. combine with coconut milk and boiling water a skillet (about 3 minutes). Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over rice.