The Vandal's Braised Lamb Shoulder

The focal point of the Chef Joey Hilty’s menu for TABLE Magazine’s Recipe Book 2020 is roasted lamb shoulder balanced with a sweet and sharp mostarda Mantovana, an Italian take on quince chutney. On the side, creamy and crispy rösti potatoes, bejeweled with trout roe, crème fraîche, and sprinkles of chives and dill. Serve a simple salad of greens with Joey Hilty’s sherry vinaigrette — and a delicious depth of flavor comes together with a snap. Get the complete 3 course meal here.

Braised Lamb

Ingredients

1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
1 bone-in square-cut lamb shoulder (about 5 lb)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Instructions

Combine the salt with the sugar, fennel seeds, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and star anise with about 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and allow the brine to cool completely.

Put the lamb shoulder in a large (6- to 8-qt) container and pour the brine over the lamb. (Ideally, the lamb shoulder should be submerged, so weigh it with two plates. But if that's impractical, cover the lamb with a clean cloth that's saturated in the brine.) Refrigerate the lamb shoulder in the brine overnight or up to 48 hours.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place a rack on a baking sheet. Drain the lamb and pat dry. Put the lamb on the rack and roast until well browned on the exterior, about 30 minutes. (Or sear the lamb over a medium-hot grill for 15 minutes until well browned on all sides and nicely charred in places.) Lower the oven to 300 degrees.

Transfer the lamb shoulder to a large roasting pan. Mix the maple syrup with 8 cups water in a bowl and add to the pan. (The liquid should come about halfway up the shoulder; add water if needed.)

Braise in the oven until the lamb shreds easily with a fork and the chickpeas are tender, about 5 hours. Let the lamb cool in its braising liquid in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Add garlic to the pan with the lamb. Roast the lamb, uncovered, spooning the braising liquid over the lamb every 5 minutes, until the lamb is hot through and glazed with the liquid, about 30 minutes.

Mostarda Mantovana

Quinces are one of my favorite things about the fall. While they are a bit more time intense than other fruits, the floral, vanilla-like flavor is well worth it. You can use this mostarda the same way you would chutney. If you’re feeling ambitious, make a larger batch when quince is in season and you can use it year round.

1 lb quinces (approx 450 g), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar (approx 225g)
8 to 10 drops mustard oil, depending how strong you prefer the mustard flavor

Preparation:

Day 1: In a pot, mix the quince slices with sugar and let macerate for 24 hours.

Day 2: Remove fruit sliced from the syrup. On low heat bring the syrup to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add sliced fruit to the syrup and let macerate for another 24 hours.

Day 3: Repeat the process again.

Day 4: Bring fruit together with syrup to a boil and cook for a few minutes until lightly caramelized. Let cool completely. Add mustard oil and stir (but since mustard oil is banned in the US, EU, and Canada, simmer 1/4 cup of white wine with 2 oz of mustard powder and dissolve). Pour onto the cooked fruit mixture.

Notes: If you don't have quince use slightly sour green apples.

If you love lamb - check out the Rack Lamb with Traditional Mint Sauce.