Mark’s Lamb Stew

Name: Mark’s Lamb Stew
Total time: PT-496090H17M10S
Ingredients: 1 cup small dried peas or beans; 2 or 3 tomatoes; 1 onion, not peeled; 1 carrot, peeled; 1 celery stalk, rinsed; Salt to taste; 2 racks of lamb breast (sometimes sold as “riblets”), 2 to 3 pounds; 1 pork or lamb shank or 2 short ribs; 3 star anise; 10 allspice berries; 1 tiny piece nutmeg (let’s say no bigger than 1/8” in any dimension); 5 cloves; 20 peppercorns; The seeds from 5 cardamom pods, or about ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds; 2 pounds trimmed and peeled root vegetables, an assortment from this list, or use all of one kind: carrots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, white potatoes; 5 or 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled; ½ cup almond flour, optional; 1 cup walnuts; 1 cup dried apricots; 1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins, optional

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Makes 4 to 6 servings, though it’s flexible 1x

Time 6 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

1 cup small dried peas or beans
2 or 3 tomatoes
1 onion, not peeled
1 carrot, peeled
1 celery stalk, rinsed
Salt to taste
2 racks of lamb breast (sometimes sold as “riblets”), 2 to 3 pounds
1 pork or lamb shank or 2 short ribs
3 star anise
10 allspice berries
1 tiny piece nutmeg (let’s say no bigger than 1/8” in any dimension)
5 cloves
20 peppercorns
The seeds from 5 cardamom pods, or about 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
2 pounds trimmed and peeled root vegetables, an assortment from this list, or use all of one kind: carrots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, white potatoes
5 or 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup almond flour, optional
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins, optional

Instructions

Combine the peas, tomatoes, onion, carrot, and celery with water to cover by about 2 inches in a pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally if you have time, or release quickly. Don’t worry if the beans aren’t tender. Remove the aromatics and add salt and the meat. Cook again on high pressure for about 20 minutes; the meat should be very tender, but if it isn’t return to high pressure for another 15 minutes or so.
The broth will be flavorful but also quite fatty at this point. Remove the meat to a bowl or plate; strain the broth into a broad bowl and set the beans aside. Refrigerate (several hours, or overnight) or freeze (an hour or two) the broth until the fat congeals at the top, then remove it. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove all bones and excess fat and skin, and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, or at your convenience, combine the spices in a small skillet and heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are fragrant (you can use medium-high heat, but don’t burn them). Cool and grind to a powder. Peel and trim the root vegetables and cut into 1-inch chunks. All of this can be done in advance – wrap and refrigerate as appropriate – and the cooking from this point on will go quickly.
Pull or chop the meat, removing any stray bits of bone or large chunks of fat or skin. Combine the broth, beans, meat, spices, garlic, and root vegetables and pressure cook on high for five minutes. Release pressure quickly, and add salt as necessary. At this point you can forget the pressure cooker, or continue to use it as a regular pot. Stir in the almond flour, walnuts, and dried fruit and simmer, checking the vegetables for tenderness and reducing the liquid as necessary. (The almond flour acts as a thickener and adds mystery. Really.) When everything is tender and the broth delicious, serve.

— Recipe by Mark Bittman