When buying locally slaughtered lamb or mutton, there are inevitably cuts of meat that may be less familiar, or harder to find recipes for. Ribs are one of these, not featured in posh recipe books. I made this last night, it was delicious. There is curry powder in there, but it is subtle, not a dominant flavour, just balancing the sweetness of the lamb.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil
- 600g lamb ribs (if you have more, increase the curry powder and lemon juice to taste)
- 1 heaped teaspoonful of Madras curry powder
- salt and pepper
- juice of half a lemon
- 100g leeks, sliced
- 100g carrots, in large chunks
- 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
- a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- 500ml stock, (lamb stock or vegetable stock)
- 30ml dry sherry
- 4 potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced. Use a waxy potato such as Charlotte.
METHOD:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish, and fry the lamb ribs over a high heat until browned. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and spoon into a bowl.
- In the same pan, saute the leeks and garlic for a few minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook on a medium heat for a minute or two, until really fragrant.
- Add the meat back into the pan, along with the sherry, stock and parsley. Bring to a simmer and check the seasoning.
- Simmer at a low heat for around an hour and a half. Check that it is not boiling dry, and add water if necessary. This could be on the stove top or in the oven.
- Add the potatoes and carrots over the top, check for water, and simmer over a low heat for another hour. The longer and lower the cooking time, the more tender the meat will be.