Lamb Cubes Base for Souvlaki, Pitas, Stews and More

Submitted by MarraMamba

"So often I want to make some of the Greek dishes such as the fabulous avgolemno fricassee, pitas, a lamb stew or just barbecue souvlaki style but its 6 pm and the most flavorful cuts take far longer than i have. This base i developed can be used in almost any recipe calling for cubed lamb, it has lemon and rosemary but works with other cuisines too from Moroccan to Irish. The other advantage of this is that you can defat it after it cools. Tips: Take some out and freeze before they get to tender so that you can skewer them, or just use the vegetable basket for your bbq and pretend they were on skewers. Freeze them in 2 cup portions and you are always ready to go. I cooked it in a crock pot, but on the stove, in the oven work just as well if you check for tenderness"

 

• Ready In: 8hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 2 -4 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cubed
• 3 3 tablespoons lemons or 3 tablespoons orange flavored oil
• 2 lemons, zest of, grated
• 2 teaspoons rosemary (to taste) or 2 teaspoons oregano (to taste)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 onion (optional)
• salt and pepper

directions

1. Brown lamb in olive oil.
2. Deglaze pot with a little water scraping up browned bits and put all into a crock pot.
3. Add other ingredients. Since its a base, I just leave the cloves whole and quarter the onions.
4. Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low. I have left it for 12 before, the meat is falling apart tender then but works beautifully.
5. Let cool, remove from broth and store in freezer bags if not using immediately. Alternatively let the broth cool and then defat it and add that to some or all bags of meat.
6. Take what you need when your craving for a good lamb dish hits.