Italians eat a lot of lamb, especially in the spring and summer. I recall that on every major holiday I would always see the whole animal slowly turning on the spit, and it was indeed delicious. I particularly liked to nibble on the rib bones, and my second-favorite was part of the shoulder blade. But when there was no holiday, the slaughtered animals were butchered and sold and enjoyed as lamb shanks, chops, and stews. For this dish, either the boneless shoulder meat or boneless leg of lamb could be used, but the shoulder is more economical, and I am sure this cut is what the Italian immigrants used. In this slow cooking process, the flavors harmonize and the meat becomes fork-tender.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Season the lamb with 2 teaspoons salt. Pour the flour into a rimmed dish. Dredge the lamb in flour, tapping off the excess. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the lamb, and brown on all sides, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the cooked lamb to a plate, and repeat with the remaining lamb.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine 3 tablespoons of the oil, the celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor and pulse to make a fine-textured paste or pestata. When all of the lamb has browned and been removed, pour 4 more tablespoons of oil into the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and scrape in the pestata. Cook, stirring, until the pestata dries out and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot, and stir to coat the lamb with the pestata.
Step 3
Pour the red wine over the lamb, and bring to a boil. Boil until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the carrots, rosemary, dried oregano, and tomatoes to the pot. Rinse out the tomato can with 1 cup of water and add that as well. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons salt.
Step 4
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 1 hour. Plop in the potatoes, cover again, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, and add the bell peppers. Cook, uncovered, until the bell peppers are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes more.
