Navarin d’ Agneau
Cooking meat for several hours in wine and seasoned with herbs is widely used at Townsend especially during the fall when everyone is participating in the harvest and no one has time to cook. This technique uses the tannins in the wine to break down the tough muscle in the meat resulting in the most flavorful & tender meat without much effort .
Ingredients
2 ½ lbs shoulder of grain fed lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
Flour for coating
8 oz lean pasture raised pork bacon, chopped
Salt & pepper
Bouquet garni: (tie all up together in a bundle using butchers twine)
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
5 parsley sprigs
Few celery leaves
4 Tbsp butter
1 lb mushrooms
1 lb small white onions, peeled
1 bottle (3c) dry full-bodied red wine, preferably a burgundy
Directions
Pre heat oven to 350
Roll meat in flour to coat. Heat bacon in Dutch oven over medium high heat, sauté bacon till done. Add in meat cubes and brown on all sides, stirring frequently. Season with salt & pepper, add bouquet garni. Whilst stirring, slowly pour in all the wine. Cover and bring to a boil, place in preheated oven & bake for 1 hr or till tender.
In a skillet melt butter and fry mushrooms and onions over medium heat for 5 min. add these to the meat, replace lid & cook for another 1 hour.
Serve along with boiled potatoes or rice.