A Time To Braise
Summer in San Francisco is a little counter intuitive. For many I'm sure they have high hopes of breaking out the barbecue and grilling meat. I have no such desire.
Growing up with the San Francisco Bay Area summer gives you a very skewed idea of what summer actually is. I very rarely actually wore a bathing suit to the beach -- it was more like a fleece jacket. With many blankets.
The point I'm trying to illustrate is that I'm not very keen on eating outdoors in the San Francisco summer, unlike others . I'm way more inclined to stay comfy in the warm indoors and braise a nice meal all day long. I made this meal yesterday on my day off, stayed in my comfy clothes, and did chores while the stove slowly grew delicious smells. I may have left the house once to grab a forgotten ingredient.
A few explanations as to why I chose to make lamb breast (or ribs).
I love lamb. I'm Middle Eastern and Mediterranean so I grew up on lamb. Lamb is a family staple. I am also fortunate enough to have a partner who, although had no way a similar upbringing as myself, loves lamb just as much, if not more. No matter what the cut, we love lamb. (This is also saying a lot for primarily vegetable eaters and former vegetarian/vegans.)
Where I work, we celebrate milk-fed lamb in the spring. It's an extremely special and limited offering considering the baby lambs are slaughtered before being weened off mother's milk -- hence the name and why they are so treasured. The meat is sweeter, more mild, and extremely tender. Unfortunately people go straight for the popular cuts when faced with this wonderful product -- the loins, legs, and racks. Definitely tasty, but really expensive and a commodity in my honest opinion.
Thus the store was faced with a surplus of lamb breast, which is basically the equivalent of a rack of pork ribs. The names are synonymous because there is such a little meat on the lamb’s breast that it’s basically the same thing. Just because the breast is small is not to say it’s lean and puny. Lamb breast is rich and fatty and, to me, the superior part of the whole animal. It’s unknown and underrated. Although it takes a little more work and attention, it’s hard to mess up and way better than a rack — which has so much potential to go wrong.
Anyways, our butcher, knowing that I love this cut and would use it, offered me a bulk amount at a great price. Obviously I took it and surprised my partner with 8 or so racks of lamb ribs to shove into our freezer. I was definitely a little ashamed for taking so much meat home, but he knew he would reap the benefits and had no arguments with my decision.
And just as we assumed, we are reaping the benefits months later in the cold months. By following the simple rules of braising, lamb breast can easily be transformed into a hearty meal and absolutely perfect on the San Francisco summer day I just described.
lamb breast | apricots | preserved kumquats | polenta
serves 2-4
2 racks lamb breast, broken down into 3-rib pieces
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh oregano
handful dried apricots
2 handfuls raisins
2 preserved kumquats, seeds removed (or other preserved citrus)
2 cups dry hard aged cider (can be substituted with wine)
3 cups water
3+ tbsp salt
1 Parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
Begin by heating a large dutch oven pot over high heat, and simultaneously preheating the oven to 250 degrees F.
Lay out the portioned lamb breast on a clean table or cutting board and season liberally with salt on both sides. If the lamb breast isn't dry, pat dry with a paper towel before seasoning so the lamb can form a caramelized crust during the searing process.
At this point the dutch oven should be piping hot and ready to sear the lamb. This may have to be done in 2 batches to prevent overcrowding in the pan. Sear the lamb on both side for 2-3 minutes, just until nice and brown and crusty. If doing multiple batches, the first batch can be removed and placed on a plate while the second batch is searing.
Once all of the lamb has browned, add the onions and garlic to the pan, and reincorporate the lamb as well. Reduce the heat to medium and add the apricots, raisin, and the preserved citrus.
Continue to stir for a few minutes so ingredients are well incorporated, then add the cider to de-glaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the caramelized pieces, then fill with the water to begin the braising process.
Add the oregano, buy leaves, and taste to see if more salt is needed . Once completed, bring the mix to a boil, then take off the heat and place in the oven for 3-4 hours, periodically checking to gently stir.
After enough time as elapsed, check doneness by using finger or tongs to pull a rib bone from the meat. If it easily slides off, the meat is tender enough to serve. If it's difficult to remove and sticks to the meat, keep cooking for another 45 minutes to an hour.
When meat is done, ladle over creamy polenta and serve!
