American Lamb Shoulder Cassoulet

Recipe provided by |Executive Chef Joachim Buchner, CMC

Servings: 6

AmericanLambShoulderCassoulet.jpg

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Shoulder

2 pounds American Lamb shoulder, boneless, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

2 ounces oil or lard

2 onions, small diced

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced leek

1/4 cup diced carrot

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig marjoram

White Beans

1 pound dried white beans

1 tablespoon salt

2-1/2 quarts vegetable broth

1 small onion, whole

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

2 garlic cloves, sliced

10 ounces lean smoked bacon

2 American Lamb sausages (optional)

4 cups fresh bread crumbs



DIRECTIONS

METHOD:

Wash and soak beans overnight.  Rinse beans; cook over low heat with salt and vegetable stock for 15 minutes.  Add onion, bay leaf, cloves, garlic, bacon and lamb sausage. Simmer until tender.  Reserve.

Season lamb cubes with salt and pepper.  In a heavy braising pot, heat the oil and sear the lamb cubes on all sides.  Add diced vegetables and tomato paste.  Add the cooking liquid from the beans; season with thyme and marjoram.  Braise until meat is tender.

Remove bacon, sausage and whole onion from the cooked beans; discard onion.  

Slice the bacon and sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Add beans, bacon and sausage to lamb cubes.  Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish and cover with fresh 

bread crumbs.  Finish baking at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board