Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 4 (8 to 12-ounce) lamb shoulder blade chops
- 16 ounces red wine blend, plus 1 tablespoon (recommended: Syrah, Grenache or Mourvedre)
- 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves
- 3 ounces dried plums, finely chopped
- 3 ounces dried apricots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into several small pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Put a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Toss the lamb with the vegetable oil in a medium mixing bowl. When the pan is hot, sear the lamb for 1 minute on each side. Remove to a plate and cool for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the meat to a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, then pour in the 16 ounces of wine and 4 rosemary sprigs. Remove as much air as possible so that the wine is completely surrounding the meat. Put the bag in a container to prevent leaks and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Transfer the contents of the bag back to the 10-inch straight-sided saute pan and cover. Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and braise until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone, about 3 1/2 hours.
Remove the meat from the oven to a platter. Discard the rosemary. Cover the meat with aluminum foil to keep warm while finishing the sauce.
Pour the pan juices into a gravy separator and allow it to separate before pouring 2 cups of the liquid back into the pan. Set the pan over medium-low heat and add the dried plums and apricots. Simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time, adding another piece only after the previous piece has melted. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of wine and the remaining chopped rosemary and continue to cook for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper, if needed.
Pour the sauce over the meat and serve immediately.
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By paula.spizziri_...
Malden, 61
on December 10, 2012
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I made this to bring to a friend's and realized too late that I was supposed to marinate it for 3 hours! So I just let it rest in the bowl for 5 mins and then continued with the oven braising. I finished the sauce at the friend's house. Also, I used figs instead of prunes, just for something different. We all agreed it was excellent, especially the sauce, and that you could make it with other meats (beef, pork. I'll try marinating next time, but if you don't have 7-plus hours, don't let it deter you. It still comes out great. Also, the sauce is so wonderful, I suggest side dishes you can put it on, like mashed potatoes (even though I'm not particularly a mashed-potato lover. I will definitely make it again. The apricots and prunes remind me of a wonderful lamb tagine from The Momo Cookbookn (Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian.
By jpellech
Saint Louis, MO
on January 27, 2012
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Great recipe. Followed it exactly. Served over pappardelle.
By KWJuls
Florida Keys
on October 11, 2011
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Great recipe! This was my first attempt at cooking lamb. I've seen several shows (Anne Burrell cooking lamb roast and shoulder chops. Have not yet made the investment to cook the delectable medium rare lamb chops.
So, when my local market had very nice looking lamb shoulder chops on sale for $3.99 per pound, I bought a package. I then searched for a recipe, finding this. As this was a braise, I knew it would be a good first attempt at cooking lamb.
I had all the other ingredients in the pantry. I used a nice merlot and olive oil. I was only making 2 chops, so cut the recipe in half. I checked the meat in the oven after 2 hours 30 minutes. It was already separating from the bone, so did not need to braise any longer. Very tender and moist. The flavor combination is lovely.
BTW, using london broil and chipotle peppers can't possibly come close to this recipe!
Read all 14 reviews