Citrus-Braised Lamb
By Ben MimsPublished on April 16, 2025
Time
3½ hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can use a boneless leg of lamb if you can’t find a boneless lamb shoulder. Use fresh orange juice for best results and a bright flavor, though bottled orange juice will work in a pinch. We like that the peel of smaller tangerines, satsumas, and mandarins is tender and sweet, but you can use Cara Cara or regular navel oranges if you prefer. We highly recommend serving this dish with couscous on the side; it’s perfect for soaking up all the bold flavors of the sauce. This braise is all about ease and less about precision, so serve it right out of the Dutch oven for a super low-effort, high-reward meal.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat lamb dry with paper towels, then sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and pepper. Starting from short side, roll roast tightly and tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add lamb and cook until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer lamb to large plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add tangerines, onion, garlic, and remaining 1½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add orange juice, vinegar, bay leaves, habanero, honey, and peppercorns, scraping up any browned bits. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pot, then bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until lamb is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, citrus peels are soft, and liquid has reduced to an unctuous sauce, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Remove pot from oven and let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves then remove twine from roast. Using tongs or 2 forks, pull lamb apart into rough 2-inch pieces, then gently stir to coat meat in sauce. Serve with couscous.
Time
3½ hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Oven-braising is an excellent choice to transform a tough cut of meat into something luxurious and special. It breaks down the collagen and fats, which add flavor to the cooking liquid, and produces fall-apart tender meal. It’s also dead simple and mostly hands-off, making it the ideal technique to deliver a centerpiece for a small gathering or weekend meal. In this rustic approach, we combined fragrant citrus, heat from a single habanero chile, and a rich and flavorful lamb shoulder. Tangerine wedges (or satsuma or mandarin) and fresh orange juice added bright orange flavor, while a healthy pour of white wine vinegar brought a welcome sharpness that also mellowed the lamb’s hallmark gaminess. As they cook, the tangerine wedges impart their floral citrus flavor to the sauce. No need to fish them out before serving—they add tender, slightly chewy bites of sweetness to the dish.
Before You Begin
You can use a boneless leg of lamb if you can’t find a boneless lamb shoulder. Use fresh orange juice for best results and a bright flavor, though bottled orange juice will work in a pinch. We like that the peel of smaller tangerines, satsumas, and mandarins is tender and sweet, but you can use Cara Cara or regular navel oranges if you prefer. We highly recommend serving this dish with couscous on the side; it’s perfect for soaking up all the bold flavors of the sauce. This braise is all about ease and less about precision, so serve it right out of the Dutch oven for a super low-effort, high-reward meal.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat lamb dry with paper towels, then sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and pepper. Starting from short side, roll roast tightly and tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add lamb and cook until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer lamb to large plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add tangerines, onion, garlic, and remaining 1½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add orange juice, vinegar, bay leaves, habanero, honey, and peppercorns, scraping up any browned bits. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pot, then bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until lamb is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, citrus peels are soft, and liquid has reduced to an unctuous sauce, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Remove pot from oven and let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves then remove twine from roast. Using tongs or 2 forks, pull lamb apart into rough 2-inch pieces, then gently stir to coat meat in sauce. Serve with couscous.
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