Wine braised lamb is a delicious Mediterranean technique to slow roast lamb which imparts so much flavor, while tenderizing a ‘fall off the bone’ lamb.
The Best Wine Braised Lamb
Looking for the best wine braised lamb recipe? Right here it is!
Having grown up in a Mediterranean home, where lamb was our primary meat, I’ve discovered how wine enhances meat.
Cooking meat, poultry or seafood in wine, helps to keep them moist while they cook.
Instead of sauteing meat in large amounts of butter, oil or other fats, you can reduce the fat and add the wine for flavor and moisture.
Fall Off The Bone Braised Lamb
Typical braised lamb, a delicious Middle Eastern technique, is lamb that has been seared over high heat, using its fat to seal in juices.
There’s nothing about this technique I don’t love, however I’ve tweaked it and found it to elevate the cook on the lamb.
Wine Braised Lamb
Wine offered both the acidity, to brighten the meat juices, and natural sugar, to bring about a beautiful caramelization.
Before I add the wine, I sear the lamb fat in a little olive oil, to seal in the juices.
That wine works magic on both the meat and the sauce, not to mention the deep color that roasts onto the finished lamb.
Why Is Fall-Off-The-Bone A Big Deal With Meats?
When slow cooking bone in meat, there are so many more benefits for the dish being cooked.
First, and most important for the dish being prepared, is flavor.
The marrow inside the bone and connective tissue outside the bone are what bring flavor to the jus that creates flavorful broth.
Cooking a piece of meat until it falls off the bone, is a sure sign that the meat is going to be tender, and the broth will be rich in flavor.
Fall Off The Bone For Health
The basis for many a fabulous soup, stew or sauce, is often derived for a great Bone Broth.
I mean, come on, what would Day After Thanksgiving Soup be without all those fabulous turkey bones!
Bone broth is made from both meats and seafood; perhaps better known as Seafood Stock.
The liquid that is created from simmering a heap of bones or shells in an herb infused broth, is nothing short of golden for our health.
While bone broth won’t cure everything, the health benefits are plenty, says Martha Stewart!
Easy Wine Braised Lamb
Excellent homemade dishes should be easy enough for a novice cook to prepare, yet taste like a pro, and this one is.
For this dish, I used a bone-in leg of lamb but a shank works just as well; though you may want to use more than one.
Be sure to take a peak at how I prepare lamb chops on television, in the 8-Episode series The Great American Recipe, on PBS.
You will see that I approached those lamb chops much the same way, in braising them first on high heat. The judges raved over them and I definitely won that round!
Fall Off The Bone Tender Lamb With Fresh Herbs
You can certainly find great fresh herbs in most grocery stores, year round. But don’t turn your nose up to growing a few pots of your own!
Lamb loves the be paired with rosemary, but also does well with fresh oregano too. Oh sure, mint is paired with lamb in many parts of the world, but not my parts!
By all means, pop over and visit my ‘escape’ world of Playing In The Dirt is see if I inspire you to grow a few pots or garden.
What To Serve With Wine Braised Lamb
Of course a scrumptious side dish of Moroccan Rice is perfect with any lamb recipe, however, you already have potatoes roasting in the pan.
So why not serve this hearty, rustic wine braised lamb recipe with a lighter and more colorful side dish of Festive Green Bean Bundles.
These green bean bundles can be prepped ahead of time and popped in the oven the last 30-minutes of the lamb roasting time.
But on busy days, why not toss in some potatoes and carrots to roast in the wine sauce, and serve a Cucumber Yogurt Salad on the side!
Equipment Needed
- Large cast iron pan or Dutch oven – a must for slow cooking on top the stove or in the oven.
- Tongs,
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Stovetop
- Oven
Ingredients Needed
- Lamb leg or shanks
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Coarse salt
- Rosemary
- Sumac
- Black cumin
- Red wine
- Potatoes
- Carrots
Fall Off The Bone Wine Braised Lamb
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or cast iron pan with lid
Ingredients
- 5 lb Bone-in Lamb Leg or so
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Medium Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tbsp Coarse salt
- Rosemary, several branches
- 2 tbsp Sumac
- 1 tbsp Black Cumin
- 2 cups Red wine
- 12 Small Potatoes quartered
- 10 Carrots
Instructions
- Salt the lamb with half the salt, and allow to sit out room temperature for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 Place a (preferably cast iron), pan with a lid, on top the stove.
- Drizzle the olive oil into the heated pan, toss in the onion and garlic and sear for a moment. Place the lamb in, on top of the onions and garlic and sear all sides until you see the color of the meat change from red to brown.
- Sprinkle the spices, rosemary and remaining salt into the pan.Pour the wine in and put the lid on for 3-minutes.
- Quarter the unpeeled potatoes and carrots, lift the lid, place them around the lamb, lid back on and place the covered pan in the oven. Turn the oven down to 325 and roast for an hour to an hour.
- After an hour, open the pan, ladle the wine sauce at the bottom of the pan, over the tops of the veggies and meat, cover and continue roasting, another 30-minutes. Ready to serve.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.