Out of all the cuts on a lamb or goat, the neck is one of the finest, and one of the best recipes you can make with one is a simple stew. This easy lamb neck stew recipe’s filled with spoon-tender meat and vegetables and just about guaranteed to be a new favorite at your house. It’s like a classic beef stew, just made with lamb and a few chef tricks.
Lamb Neck Stew Ingredients
Carrots, potatoes and onion, along with some lamb, fresh thyme are all you need. I add a few mushrooms to my stew, but they’re optional. Two other ingredients are lamb stock or chicken stock, and a little red wine since it pairs so well with lamb.
Lamb neck stew ingredients.
Shepherd Song Sells whole lamb necks. I’ve cut the meat from the bone in the picture below. If you haven’t removed the meat from a lamb or goat neck, take a look at my post How to Cook Goat or Lamb Neck.
How to Make Lamb Neck Stew
Season the stew meat the night before and allow it to rest overnight uncovered in the fridge, spread on a tray to dry it out. The flavor of a good stew depends on proper browning, and this makes browning easier.
Prepare the vegetables by peeling carrots and potatoes and cutting them into pieces. The onions are peeled and diced slightly smaller than the carrots and potatoes. For this recipe I also add some fresh chopped thyme and a few handfuls of dried shaggy parasol mushrooms, red wine and lamb stock. You can skip the mushrooms or add some of your favorites, fresh or dried.
To cook the stew, the lamb is browned in small batches in a Dutch oven. Add onions, cook, then add a cup of red wine and reduce. Add lamb or chicken stock, potatoes, carrots, a handful of mushrooms, and chopped fresh thyme. Next you whisk in some kneaded roux, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer until it’s tender and delicious, about an hour. The pictures below illustrate the process.
Brown the lamb meat.
Add the onions.
Cook until browned.
Add red wine to the pan..
Add meat, broth and kneaded roux.
Whisk the roux into the stew.
Cook until tender.
Serve.
Chefs Tips
Proper browning is the key to flavor. Take your time browning the meat
The flavor will be better the day after it’s made.
Garnish the stew with horseradish cream sauce and fresh cut parsley for a rustic presentation.
Any stewing cut can be used here: shanks, shoulder or saratoga roast, or breast (lamb brisket).
Water will do in a pinch, but use stock for the best tasting result.
Chef Alan Bergo, The Forager Chef
This recipe is by James Beard award-winning Chef Alan Bergo, author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora. Learn more about Chef Alan and his hunt for mushrooms, wild and obscure foods at foragerchef.com.
Tender pieces of lamb neck stewed with potatoes, carrots, onions and herbs will make one of the best stews you've had.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Lamb Neck Stew
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 hourshours
Servings 4People
Calories 472kcal
Cost 20
Equipment
1 Dutch oven or soup pot
1 extra pan for browning (such as cast iron, optional)
Ingredients
1lblamb neck meatcubed
1teaspoonkosher salt
1lbpeeled russet potatoescut into 1 inch cubes
10oz5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch coins
8oz1 large yellow onion, diced ½ inch
2tablespoonscooking oil or lamb fat
1tablespoonfresh chopped thyme
1cupdry red wine
4cupslamb stockbroth, or water in a pinch
20gramsdried mushrooms-your favorite type
Beurre manié
1tablespoonflour
1tablespoonbutter
Instructions
Pat the meat dry, toss with the salt, lay out on a baking sheet and allow to rest overnight in the fridge, uncovered.
Heat 2 teaspoons of oil a Dutch oven, brown the meat in batches, using a second pan like a cast iron skillet if you like. When one batch of meat is browned, remove it to a pan and continue.
When all the meat is browned, and before the bottom of the pan gets too dark, add the onion and another drizzle of oil, stir constantly for a minute or two to remove the browned bits, then add the red wine and reduce by half.
Add the browned meat and remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, turn the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
Notes
Many different cuts can be used here. Shoulder and shanks are also great for stew.