I have made this several times and it is always raved about. Tender lamb cooked with the sweetness of dates melted into the sauce to thicken and then the Zinfandel!
Serves 6 to 8
6 tbsp olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 1/2lbs leg of lamb, cut into 2 inch cubes
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 heaped tsp ground cumin (roasted preferably)
1 1/2 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups lamb or beef stock
1 1/4 cups chopped, pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 cup dry, full bodied red wine such as Zinfandel.
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
Garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 350 F
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large ovenproof braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add carrots and saute for another 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Pat the meat dry. Place the flour in a large ziplock plastic bag and add salt and pepper to taste. Shake to mix. Place the lamb cubes in the bag and seal tightly. Shake the lamb until it is lightly coated on all sides with the flour.
Add 2 tbsp (or more) of remaining olive oil to braiser over medium heat. Add half of the meat and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 mins, transferring the browned meat to the bowl with the vegetables as they brown.
Add remaining oil, if necessary and brown remaining meat. Return the onion-meat mixture to the braiser.
Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and ginger and stir to coat the meat and vegetables, about 1 minute.
Add wine, stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the dates and orange juice and zest and return to the boil.
Cover the braiser, transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Don’t overcook!
If the sauce is very thin, remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and boil the sauce so it reduces and thickens. I didn’t need to do this as the dates thickened the sauce very well.
Return the meat and vegetables to the braiser and season to taste.
Transfer to a warmed serving platter if you like and garnish with the fresh parsley and cilantro.
Serve immediately.