Happy birthday to me! It’s time, in my 27th year, to extol the virtues of braises. Once again, I decided to cook dinner for friends on my birthday. And once again, I was away the weekend before and therefore had not a lot of time to make a semi-fancy dinner. Bring on the braise, bitches!
Braises are a miracle, especially for the busy cook. They’re generally best on large, thick, fibrous pieces of meat, which just so happen to be on the cheaper side and are therefore ideal for budget-conscious folks cooking for a crowd. They’re also pretty hands-off, allowing you to focus on sides and/or dessert while your main dish does its own thing in the oven or on the stove. (If you have a slow-cooker, you can really “set it and forget it” with a braise.)
Plus, braises are often best when made a day or two ahead. Taste-wise, cooking ahead a) gives the flavors of the dish time to really meld and come together, and b) allows you to skim a lot of the fat that renders off the meat while it’s cooking, so that the final dish (and its sauce) aren’t too greasy.
And planning-wise, this is a godsend. Rare is the dinner party that comes together without advance planning, and preparing a make-ahead main dish allows you to focus on everything else that comes with a party (cleaning, putting out dinnerware and cutlery, appetizers, drinks, etc. etc.) rather than sweating over a stove while guests file in.
(As it just so happens, many braises happen to heavily feature booze. Clearly, they are genius and we should all just accept their superiority now.)
So for my birthday, I was obviously going to be braising something. I settled on lamb shoulder because it seemed elegant and classy, like how I hope the next year of my life will be was on sale at Fresh Direct, and went with a French-style herbed treatment, relying on garlic, rosemary, thyme and a generous pour of wine to provide all of the flavor. The whole thing went swimmingly, and I served the lamb with a kale gratin (which I will have to make again and share with you guys ASAP because it was divine) and mashed root vegetables (also pretty great). And there were zero leftovers, which is always a sign of a successful dinner party. Cheers to 27!
Braised Lamb Shoulder
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes 6-8 servings
– 1 3-pound boneless lamb shoulder roast, tied with kitchen twine
– 6 large cloves garlic, peeled
– kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
– 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary plus 2 sprigs
– 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme plus 6 sprigs
– 3 cups red wine
– 1 cup chicken or beef stock
1) Rinse the lamb shoulder, then pat dry with paper towels. Make slits in the meat in 2-inch intervals with a paring knife.
2) Pound the garlic with salt and pepper to form a coarse paste (use a mortar and pestle, or mince and mash with a large knife). Stir together the garlic paste with the oil and the minced rosemary and thyme. Rub the paste all over the lamb. Put the meat in a heavy pot or roasting pan, then refrigerate, covered, for 12-24 hours.
3) Bring the roast to room temperature (about 1 hour). Preheat the oven to 350F.
4) Pour the wine and around the lamb and add the herb sprigs. Cover the pot with a lid, or if using a roasting pan, tightly with heavy-duty foil. Braise the lamb in the oven until tender but not falling off the bone, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
5) Increase the oven temperature to 450F and roast the lamb, covered with the lid (or foil), until it is very tender and the top is browned, about 30-45 minutes more. Carefully transfer the lamb to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Let it stand 15 minutes.
6) Skim off the fat from the braising liquid, then bring to a rolling boil (if using a roasting pan, transfer the liquid to a pot first). Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced to 1-1/2 cups. Remove the strings from the meat, then “carve”* using two forks and serve with the sauce.
*By carve, I mean use two forks to kind of cut the meat into pieces — you won’t need any knives.
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