Cascadia Table

This is not the prettiest dish I make. But oh my word, it might be the most delicious. And nothing—and I mean nothing—is more comforting on a cold winter evening when you are bone tired and it’s only Monday.

It is also one of those great dishes that hangs out on the stove for a long time, freeing you up to deal with the laundry or the mess in your kitchen.

I love gathering the ingredients for this dish because they are so wholesome and lovely. You need lamb shoulder chops, onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, and Irish cheddar.

First, you must season your lamb with salt and pepper. Sear the lamb in a hot Dutch oven on both sides. Then, add the chopped onion, garlic, and a bay leaf to the pot. Saute until vegetables are soft and their natural juices have deglazed the pot. Then add just enough water to cover the lamb, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.

You can keep this on the stovetop simmering or move it to a 325-degree oven. Either way, let the meat cook for 1.5 hours.

Peel and chop your potatoes and carrots into rather large, 2-inch pieces. After the lamb has cooked for an hour and a half, add the potatoes and carrots to the pot. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, cover, and let simmer for another 30 minutes.

Note: You are not making stew, so you want the water to reduce down. However, make sure there is still some liquid in the pan (by this point it should be a small amount of very rich broth). If it looks dry, add a splash more water.

Remove the bones from the lamb carefully. Be careful here—shoulder chops can have pretty small bones, and you want to make sure they are all removed from the pot. The meat will be extremely tender and falling off the bone at this point. Break it up with a spoon and ensure all bones are removed.

Finally, add the chopped cabbage and let that steam in the pot for another 15 minutes.

Serve with a pat of butter, grated Irish cheddar, and some fresh parsley or chives on top.

I love traditional Irish dishes such as these: lamb stew made out of neck bones that cook all day, stewed lamb and potatoes in broth, colcannon, braised cabbage, and salt pork. It’s all lovely, simple, and nourishing.

But I do know not everyone is fond of lamb or experienced in cooking it. I recommend getting local lamb if you can, as it will taste much better. Also, be careful to get shoulder chops and not traditional lamb chops for this recipe. Traditional lamb chops are best cooked med-rare and not for braising. They are also far more expensive than shoulder chops. At the end of the day if lamb is not your cup of tea or good lamb is not available try this dish with pork shoulder which is also very delicious and comforting.