Cordero a la Pastora

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot or cazuela, 28 to 30cm
• •Tongs
• •Measuring jug

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the lamb

   Pat the lamb dry and season it with the 10g salt and the black pepper. Let it sit while you cut the potatoes and onion. Pésalo, no lo adivines: enough salt now seasons the meat through, not just the sauce at the end.

   If your lamb pieces are larger than 5cm, leave them, but expect another 20 to 30 minutes in the pot. Tenderness, not the clock, tells you when it is ready.
2. 2

   Brown the meat

   Warm the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the lamb in two batches, turning until the edges take on good color, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot or the meat stews before it browns. Lift the lamb to a plate.

3. 3

   Soften the onion

   Lower the heat and add the onion to the same oil with a pinch of salt. Cook it slowly for 10 to 12 minutes, scraping the bottom, until it is soft, dark gold, and sweet. Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute more, just until they smell warm, not burnt.

4. 4

   Build the braise

   Return the lamb and its juices to the pot. Add the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the water or light stock, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and the 2 whole garlic cloves. Cover, lower the heat, and cook at a gentle murmur for 45 minutes.

5. 5

   Add potatoes

   Add the potatoes and tuck them down among the lamb. Cover again and cook for 25 minutes, shaking the pot now and then by the handles instead of stirring hard. The potatoes should begin to soften but not collapse.

6. 6

   Add sour milk

   Stir the vinegar into the milk in a jug, then pour it into the pot. Drop the heat to low at once and keep the liquid barely moving for 25 to 35 minutes, uncovered, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are fully soft. This is the step that decides the dish: low heat keeps the sauce gentle and lets the milk and vinegar turn into a pale, tangy cooking liquor instead of a broken mess.

7. 7

   Rest and finish

   Take the pot off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and correct the salt. Scatter over the parsley and serve from the pot, with the softened whole garlic cloves pressed into the sauce if you like. The sauce should be pale, lightly sharp, and spoonable, not thick like a restaurant gravy. Tal como se hace alli.

Chef Tips

• •Young lamb is the dish. In Aragon that means ternasco, milk-fed or young lamb with a mild flavor and tender meat. Far from there, use bone-in shoulder or neck from a young lamb; leg is leaner and can dry before the sauce is ready.
• •Use whole milk. Low-fat milk gives a thin sauce and curdles in a meaner way. The vinegar is not a mistake; it is what makes this cordero a la pastora and not just lamb with potatoes.
• •Keep the pot low after the milk goes in. A few small curds are right for this rustic sauce. A hard boil gives you tight lamb and a sauce that looks punished.
• •Serve it with plain bread and something green and bitter, like escarole or dressed chicory. The lamb is mild, the sauce is soft, and the table needs a little bite beside it.
• •It is better after a short rest, not after days in the fridge. Milk sauces can thicken and split when reheated, so warm leftovers very gently with a splash of water.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut and salt the lamb up to 12 hours ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator. Bring it out 30 minutes before cooking so the chill comes off.
• •The onion base can be cooked a few hours ahead and held in the pot. Brown the lamb and continue when you are ready.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, shaking the pot gently until the sauce loosens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 475g)