Braised Lamb (wild Boar Style)

Total Time: 76 hrs Preparation Time: 72 hrs Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 10 juniper berries
• 10 whole cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3 inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large onions, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 2 (750 ml) bottles red wine, preferable tuscan
• 1 cup tomato puree (thick style)
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf, minced to powder

Recipe

• 1 in a spice grinder, combine juniper berries, cloves and peppercorns (mixture should be coarse.) in a small bowl combine spices and 2 tsp sea salt. rub mixture into lamb pieces. place in large zip top bag and store in the refrigerator for three days.
• 2 preheat oven to 325 degrees f.
• 3 heat oil in heavy dutch oven (i use my 7 1/4 qt le creuset.) dry lamb pieces with paper towel and add to pot in batches. brown lamb pieces on all sides and remove to holding plate; repeat until all lamb has been browned.
• 4 add onions, 3 cloves garlic, red pepper and 1/2 tbl sea salt to pot, being careful not to brown the onion or garlic. add one bottle of wine and scrape bits from bottom of pot. add tomato puree and simmer. add lamb pieces and enough of second bottle of wine to cover lamb (reserve one cup.) heat to simmer again and then move into preheated oven.
• 5 braise lamb in oven until meat is extremely tender, approx 3-4 hours. move pot back to stove top.
• 6 with slotted spoon, remove lamb pieces to holding plate. add one cup wine to pot and bring to simmer. add 2 cloves garlic, vinegar and rosemary. return lamb to pot and combine. cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes. turn off heat and allow to rest for few minutes.
• 7 serve over large cooked noodles or your favorite pasta.