We have gorgeous neck roasts from our pasture raised lamb, but there’s not been much interest in using those to make a pot roast, and I think it’s because most of us haven’t branched out far from the very familiar chops and racks and legs, right?

A while back, I came across a Chef Gordon Ramsey video where he said the neck roast is his favorite part of the lamb for pot roasts because it is so incredibly flavorful. I agree that it is a best kept secret! So, I’m going to share MY secret with you for a very easy and oh-so-yummy recipe for YOU to try with our neck roasts. I made this yesterday and Farmer Bob was so happy! (The full recipe comes after the “how-to” pictures.)

Start with one of our roasts from our pasture-raised, grass fed lambs. They range in size from 2 pounds to more than 5 pounds. 

I remove the cotton cord and coat them with salt and pepper, then brown them on all sides in a heavy dutch oven in a little olive oil or canola oil.

Remove them to a tray and sauté your veggies in the drippings until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic and thyme, a good sprinkling of salt and pepper, and stir in the tomato paste and let it thicken the veggies just a bit, then add the liquids and bring all to a simmer, stirring up all the brown bits stuck to the pot.

Add your roasts back into the pot and snuggle them down into the liquid. Bring to a fast simmer, then cover and roast in a 325° oven for 2 1/2-3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Thicken the broth with a little corn starch slurry.

Remove the roasts to a cutting board and pull the meat off the bones. (Reserve the bones for bone broth or stock for soup.) Serve the tender meat with the veggies and sauce over your favorite rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, couscous, waffles…the possibilities are endless!

Fox Trot Farm Lamb Pot Roast

1 or two Fox Trot Farm Lamb Neck Roasts
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
S&P*
2 large celery stalks, sliced into 2 inch pieces
2 large carrots, sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsps. minced garlic
2 tsps. dried thyme
4 ounces of tomato paste**
1/2 bottle of dry red wine (great use for left over wine)
4 cups good quality chicken stock (my favorite is Kitchen Basics)

-Preheat oven to 325°.
-Over medium-high heat, heat oil in heavy bottomed pot, such as a Le Creuset Dutch Oven.
-Generously sprinkle the roasts on all sides with S&P and brown on all sides in the hot oil, about 8 minutes or so.
-Remove meat from pot and add Holy Trinity, S&P and dried thyme, stirring and sautéing till veggies just begin to get tender.
-Stir garlic and tomato paste into the veggies and allow to thicken slightly…just a minute or two.
-Stir in wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the pan, then add the chicken broth.
-Return the meat to the pot, nestling the roasts down into the broth.
-Cover and place in oven. Roast for 2 1/2-3 hours or until fork tender.
-Remove roasts to a tray and thicken the broth with a bit of cornstarch mixed with a little water (slurry) or flour and water. Simmer till thick, stirring…just a couple minutes. Adjust seasonings (S&P).
-Using a fork, pull meat from the bone and serve the meat with the sauce and all those yummy braised veggies.
-Expect applause! 🙂

*S&P: in my cooking, this is coarse Kosher salt (S) & freshly ground black pepper (P)
**Put any left over tomato paste from a can in a zip lock bag, flatten it, and then stick it in the freezer. To thaw for use, just pop the bag in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes.

Our neck roasts are just $7.99/pound and you can pick them up when you come to our farm market on Sunday afternoons from 1:00-5:00. Stock up on chops, racks, ground, shanks, legs….if it comes from the lamb, we’ve got it! Our Loin Chops and lean ground lamb are on sale for a couple weeks because we have a LOT of those in stock right now and will need to make space for more lamb closer to Christmas.

Of course, we have honey, handcrafted soaps made with our honey & beeswax, baked goods, quilted and crafty things, and Dianne Mahaffey pottery, too. Farmer Bob begins his guided tour at 2:00 sharp, and that is just $5 a person and includes a free honey treat at the end. We also have public facilities for your convenience.

Come see us down on the farm!

EIEIO!
Debbie