MM

So there was boneless leg of lamb served on *checks notes* whatever the last holiday was along with maybe 10 pounds of unused lamb that I don't give until Easter to not get freezer burned so I defrosted about half of it this weekend because yay Overly Ambitious Me.

It gets to be late Sunday night; I'm like what am I gonna do with all of this lamb, so I cut it up, roasted one half and did this with the rest. The roast wound up in the trash - the New York Times recipe I picked for it this time was pretty much *gags* but the other NYT recipe I picked for the stew was just great.

Subbed ingredients and/or altered quantities and cooking times pretty much throughout, but it works. Maybe someday I'll try the NYT version just to see how it stacks up.

The whole reason I went with Spanish stew as opposed to regular was I had (and still have) no potatoes or celery on hand - I'm not a big potato fan and didn't miss them in this at all.

Spanish Lamb Stew

• 1-1 1/2 lb uncooked leg of lamb, cubed
• Garlic powder and cracked black pepper to sprinkle on lamb
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 large cubanelle or other mild/sweet peppers, chopped
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut in half
• Kosher salt for sauteed veggies
• 6-7oz Bella Sun Luci Bruschetta sundried tomato paste* (glass jar at Winn-Dixie near produce)
• 1 28oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes (keep and add juice to pot as well)
• 5 bay leaves
• 1-1 1/2 cup(s) red wine (Shiraz *shrug it's what I had*)
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed (I used a mortar and pestle)
• 1 16oz can pinto or other mild light bean, unrinsed to ensure thickening
• 1 1/2-2 cups chicken and/or beef stock (to taste, less for thicker, more flavorful stew)
• Dutch oven (I used cast iron)

Grease and heat Dutch oven to medium low. Cube lamb, season generously with garlic powder and pepper, add to pot, brown on both sides, plate and set aside.
Add onions, peppers, half the butter and a light sprinkle of kosher salt to pot. Saute, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes.
Add other half of butter, reduce heat to low and saute veggies another 5 minutes.
Add sundried tomato paste, stir well to blend with veggies and cook 1-2 minutes.
Add red wine, scraping pot and stirring well to mix in fond***.
Add whole tomatoes, breaking apart with spoon as you stir.
Add bay leaves, crushed garlic, beans, broth and lamb, cook another 5 minutes and serve. Makes approximately 4-6 servings.

*Online search recommended subbing regular tomato paste for pimentón de la Vera**. Looking at my jar of sun-dried tomato paste I was like, "This is paste, right?" I suspect it actually made the whole dish.
**Still don't even know what this is - talk about winging it.
***Fond = the brown bits clinging to the bottom of your pot or pan, aka what gives food the Maillard effect