A warming dish full of veggies and tender lamb. Perfect for a cold winter night.

When the deep winter chill sets in, we crave hearty stew. Lamb stew makes any dreary weekend feel like a special occasion.

Just the Recipe | 6 Servings

1 Tbs. Oil or Butter

2 1/2 -3 lbs. Lamb Chop Pieces or Neck Bones with Meat

2 Medium Leeks

1 Onion

3 Carrots

2 Parsnips

3-4 Medium White or Yellow Potatoes

1 Tbs. Thyme

1/2 Tbs. Rosemary

3 Tbs. Parsley

1 1/2 - 3 1/2 Cups Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Stock

1 Can of Beer (optional)

1/2 Cup of White Wine, Whiskey or Bourbon (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Braiser or Dutch Oven | Stove Top and 300° Oven

Steps:

Preheat the oven.
Take the lamb out to come to room temperature while you prep the veggies. Salt & pepper the lamb neck pieces while they sit.
Prep the veggies and aromatics:
- Chop the leeks and onions into a small dice. Set aside.
- Peel and chop the parsnips and carrots into a large dice. Set aside.
- Finely chop the rosemary, thyme. Set aside.
- Chop the parsley, set aside for later and cover so it doesn’t dry out.
- Dice the potatoes into bite sized pieces.
Heat the oil/butter. Brown the lamb pieces on all sides, about 3-4 minutes a side in batches so the pot isn’t crowded. Remove to a plate.
Add more oil if needed, then add the leeks and onions with some salt & pepper. Stir often so the brown bits from the lamb don’t start to burn. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Deglaze the pan. You can use 1/2 cup of stock, white wine, brandy, whiskey or bourbon.
Add the rest of the aromatics: celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and rosemary. Salt and pepper lightly. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Nestle the lamb pieces into the vegetables.
Add the stock and beer, if using. Fill until the lamb and veggies are just about covered (see photo).
Transfer to the oven and cook for 90 - 120 minutes.
Remove when very fragrant and you can no longer stand to wait to eat! Allow to rest for about 10-20 minutes.
Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh chopped parsley, crusty bread, and sharp cheese.

Perfect for weekend cooking in the Winter.

Kitchen Acumen Tips:

Leeks, a root vegetable, can be a bit dirty. You’ll want to clean them very well. Starting at the tip of the root, slice lengthwise down to the tips of the green without cutting the root end open. Rotate 180° and repeat so the leek fans open into 4 sections but is still attached. Rinse well in cold water, separating the leaves to wash well (or soak in a large bowl).
I don’t peel carrots or potatoes in rustic stews like this one. I scrub them very well in cold water and cut off any bad spots but skip the peeling altogether.
Use what you have when it comes to root veggies. Substitute celery for parsnips. Cubed rutabaga or butternut squash would also work well in this dish.
Either beef or vegetable stock work nicely. Use what you have on hand. Or, use water!
The alcohol is entirely optional. It adds a nice depth of flavor and is used to deglaze the pan before adding the rest of the veggies, but you can also do that with stock.
- If using beer, I’ve made this with lager, pilsners, and ales. Other beers would work but stay away from fruity/sour beers, very dark beers, or strong IPAs.
- If deglazing with whiskey or bourbon note that the recipe will be a little sweeter. I don’t always do this, it depends entirely on what’s open. I’m not going to pour 1/2 cup of good Rye Whiskey into a stew if you catch my drift.
If you want to and you’re an expert at dicing, prep the veggies while you brown the lamb neck pieces. Sometimes I can get it done, other times I’m short on time and I prep all the veggies first, separating into bowls/plates by step to help me be more efficient (i.e. the onions and leeks can go in one bowl, the carrots and celery in another, thyme and rosemary can be together but parsley is separate, etc)