Braised Lamb Neck with Sriracha Honey Glaze
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 slices smoked pork jowl bacon or smoked bacon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
  • 2 (2 to 2.5-pound) lamb necks
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 cups Port wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce or hot sauce
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a cast-iron pot with a heavy lid over medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon pieces and discard (or eat).
  2. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning on all sides of the lamb necks and brown in the hot bacon grease until brown on all sides. Remove and keep warm.
  3. Add the onion, celery, and bell peppers to the hot grease and cook until the onion just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
  4. Add 2 cups of the Port wine to the pot (be careful that it doesn’t ignite), and cook until the wine begins to reduce, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the lamb necks back to the pot, and pour in the chicken stock. Add the rosemary sprig, lower the heat to low, and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and let braise on the stovetop until tender, 2 to 3 hours, checking every half hour to make sure there is plenty of cooking liquid.
  6. Turn off the heat under the lamb and make the glaze by combining the honey and Sriracha sauce together in a small mixing bowl.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  8. Once done, remove the lid and brush the top and sides of the lamb neck with the glaze, and move the pot to the hot oven. Add the additional 1 cup of Port wine to the pot and let cook uncovered as the glaze sets (watch carefully to prevent the sugar from burning) and the sauce reduces further, 15 to 30 minutes.
  9. Remove the pot from the oven and gently move the lamb necks to a platter along with a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking liquid. Strain the remaining liquid into a medium saucepan removing the rosemary stems, and spoon off any surface fat. Place the sauce over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil, and reduce further until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce once again and add to a serving bowl.
  10. With a serving fork and knife, separate the two lamb necks into four servings (the meat will fall off the bone), and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Serve family-style with the remaining sauce on the side.
Notes
Feel free to tackle one of these 2-pound lamb necks solo, but I suggest dividing each neck into two servings with the side dishes of your choice. Some butcher shops can special order cuts like lamb necks, so be sure to ask or even go online to sources like U.S. Wellness Meats/Grassland Beef. Lamb necks vary in size, therefore, the cooking time reflects monitoring for doneness rather than time. I like Port wine for its fortified flavor and subtle sweetness, but feel free to use red wine instead.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/?p=24372