Created on 8/11/2023
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds lamb shoulder, excess fat trimmed and diced into 1-inch cubes (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine (such as Chianti)
- 1 cup low-sodium beef stock
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 8–10 sprigs fresh thyme
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 16–24 ounces pasta (pappardelle, bucatini, rigatoni, etc.) or gnocchi
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup grated parmesan (roughly 1 tablespoon per serving)
- ¼ – 1/3 cup heavy cream (roughly 1 tablespoon per serving)
- for serving, as desired: additional grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
Instructions
Step One: Brown the lamb shoulder – Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to an instapot using the Saute mode. Use paper towel to pat the lamb as dry as possible, then season generously with 1 teaspoon each kosher salt & ground black pepper. Add the seasoned lamb to the instapot and cook until deeply browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Work in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the pot, which prevents browning. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside
Step Two: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot & reduce the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot & shimmers, add in the onion, carrots, and celery, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened & deeply browned, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, stirring to coat the veggies, and cook for 1-2 minutes more, caramelizing the tomato paste
Step Three: Slowly pour the red wine into the instapot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits that have formed at the bottom of the pot – that’s where all the flavor is! Let the red wine reduce by about half (this goes by quickly!), then pour in the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. I like to use kitchen twine to tie them into a little bundle for easy removal. Return the lamb to the instapot
Step Four: Cover & seal the pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure When it’s ready, the lamb should shred very easily – it’ll be tender enough that you should be able to shred it right in the ragu by using the back of a wooden spoon. Remove & discard the spent bay leaves & herbs. Shred the lamb & stir to combine. At this point, you can cool & store for later use (see Recipe Notes for storage & freezing instructions), or proceed with prepping lamb ragu pappardelle or gnocchi (below).
Notes: My preferred cut of lamb for this braised lamb ragu is lamb shoulder, though lamb shanks will work very well, too. Because of the long cooking time involved, avoid lean cuts like lamb chops.