Lamb Rogan Josh

My husband and I are both big fans of lamb protein and in various cuts, not just the pricey chops or loin.  We love ground lamb (our Lamb Ragout recipe will be coming soon to a blag near you) and lamb shoulder.  Usually we grill the lamb shoulder but then I stumbled on this Persian lamb recipe from Food & Wine. The deep, heavy spices and slow cook time make this a very rich and flavorful, hearty dish.

Forgive my blurry photo and sloppy plating...it was getting late and we were HUNGRY!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

Himalayan pink sea salt

2 onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

One 14-ounce can tomato puree

1 cup coconut milk

1 cups water

1 teaspoon garam masala

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Brown rice, for serving

On this third round of testing my husband picked up lamb loin chops but it words wonderfully well with lamb shoulder

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Season the lamb with salt and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is browned, about 12 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Browning in the lamb.

Add the onions to the casserole and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric, cayenne and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato, coconut milk and water; bring to a boil. Season with salt.

The lamb returned to the casserole dish where it will cook for roughly another hour.

Return the lamb and any juices to the casserole. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the lamb is very tender, 1 hour. Stir in the garam masala; cook for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice.