Braised Lamb Chops in Red Wine

Ingredients

• 2 thick lamb loin or shoulder chops
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• Fresh thyme + rosemary
• ~200 ml full-bodied red wine (whatever’s open)
• 200 ml chicken or lamb stock
• Salt, pepper, baharat
• EVOO
• Knob of butter + squeeze of lemon to finish

Method

1. Salt chops generously, rub with garlic + herbs + baharat + EVOO. Rest uncovered in fridge 2+ hours.
2. Screaming hot Le Creuset. Fat side first 3 mins, then 2–3 mins each flat side until deeply crusted. Remove.
3. Same pot: onion 5 mins until soft. Garlic 2 mins. Celery + carrots in, stir. Add fresh thyme + rosemary.
4. Pour in the wine, scrape up all brown bits from the bottom. Bubble and reduce by half (3–4 mins).
5. Add stock. Nestle chops back in, half submerged. Lid on, 160°C for 1.5–2 hours.
6. Remove chops, rest covered in foil. Strain juices, reduce hard 10 mins. Finish with butter + lemon = red wine gravy.

Key Details

• A full-bodied red’s tannins and dark fruit complement lamb perfectly, the wine is not incidental
• The soffritto in the rendered meat fat (not fresh oil) is the Italian foundation of the flavour
• The braising vegetables become extraordinarily sweet after 2 hours, press them through the strainer, don’t discard
• The butter finish on the gravy (monter au beurre) adds gloss and rounds the acidity of the wine

Variations

• Any good full-bodied red works, Chianti, Côtes du Rhône, Shiraz, good Rioja
• For a North African profile: add ½ tsp baharat + a preserved lemon half to the braise
• Can be made with lamb shoulder cut into large pieces, longer cook time (2.5–3 hrs)

Pairs well with

• Caramelised onion bulgur, the best companion for this
• Creamy polenta or mashed potato for the Italian version
• Crusty bread to mop up the red wine gravy
• The same red in the glass

Notes & learnings