Slow Braised Lamb Neck
If you’ve never cooked Lamb Neck before, let me introduce you to a fantastic cut of meat. Slow braised with aromatics and red wine, it becomes fork tender and simply delicious.
What Is Lamb Neck?
While cuts of lamb like lamb chops and leg of lamb are super popular, lamb neck is a great choice for slow cooking and braising. The bone and connective tissue adds so much flavor, breaking down during a long cooking process, resulting in incredibly delicious and succulent meat. It’s also a much more budget-friendly cut of meat, as tougher cuts tend to me. This makes it an economical choice when you’re looking for a luxurious, satisfying meal. The tenderness achieved through slow braising is simply irresistible – the meat literally falls off of the bone!
Ingredients You’ll Needed
- Lamb neck. I prefer using sliced lamb neck (your butcher can do this for you) but you can make this recipe with whole lamb neck too. You’ll need a deeper Dutch oven or pot and more stock and increase the cooking time until the lamb is tender.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery and fresh garlic cloves. These form the base of all good soups and stews. Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms, potatoes, pumpkin or sweet potato towards the end of cooking if you prefer.
- Fresh thyme. Rosemary is also delicious with lamb.
- Tomato paste.
- Red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon but substitute with any full-bodied red wine.
- Lamb stock/beef stock. Chicken stock can also be used.
- Salt and black pepper.
How To Slow Braise Lamb Neck
- Prepare the lamb: Pat dry with paper towels and season. Brown in a large, deep braiser or pan. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: Sauté the vegetables and aromatics. Add the tomato paste then deglaze with wine. Pour in the stock and season to taste.
- Braise: Add the lamb necks back to the pot, cover and allow to braise in the oven until tender. (See recipe card below for finishing the stew.)
- Serve: Serve the lamb neck stew with your choice of side dishes.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
You can absolutely braise the lamb on the stovetop if you prefer. Keep the heat low and allow the lamb to simmer super gently, topping up the cooking liquid as needed, until soft and succulent.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Yes, definitely. Stews and braises are often better after a day as the flavors have a chance to marry overnight. Allow the braised lamb to come to room temperature, cover well then place in the fridge overnight. Reheat gently on the stove before serving. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions
We love this lamb neck recipe served with mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or rice. Vegetable side dishes like brussels sprouts, glazed carrots or green beans would all be delicious too.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (1kg) lamb neck on the bone sliced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves grated/minced
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine I used Cabernet Sauvignon
- 3 cups beef stock use lamb stock if you can find it
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.
- Pat the lamb dry with paper towels then season generously with salt on both sides.
- Brown in a hot, deep pan set over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the vegetables, garlic and thyme until they start to brown.
- Stir in the tomato paste then deglaze the pan with the red wine.
- Pour in the stock.
- Add the lamb necks back in then season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in the preheated oven to braise for 2-2½ hours or until the lamb is fork tender.
- Check every hour and top up with stock if necessary – the lamb should be covered to ensure thorough cooking.
- At this point, I like to remove the heat and increase the heat to 400°F/200°C for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and the lamb is caramelized but this is an optional step.
- Garnish the stew with fresh parsley (optional) then serve with your choice of side dishes.
Nutrition
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