Braised dishes do take a little time and patience, but you are rewarded with an especially full aroma and very tasty meat. They warm you from the inside and are perfect for cold days.
Lamb refers to a young sheep - up to the age of one year. It is especially prized for its tender and mild meat. The shoulder is generally especially tender and juicy. In the Montafon, there is even a unique breed of sheep: the Montafon Steinschaf (stone sheep). Peter Kasper and Martin Mathies have dedicated themselves to this special breed and sustainably see to their preservation and the marketing of various products. The sheep are known for being especially resistant, robust and undemanding and are good climbers. Their slim physique and their small, light stature do result in less meat, but the meat is very fine-grained and of outstanding quality.
Preparation
- Peel the root vegetables and cut them into chunks.
- Sear the shoulder of lamb all around in some oil - salt it well.
- Remove the meat and place the root vegetables with the apples in the pot - roast gently.
- Add tomato purée, brown a little, then add the paprika powder and brown a little more.
- Add 2-3 shots of dark balsamic vinegar - let it reduce until there is a lovely browning on the bottom of the pot. This will give the sauce its dark colour.
- Then place the shoulder of lamb back in the pot and add water so that the meat is half covered - then add allspice, caraway.
- star anise and salt.
- Cover and leave everything to simmer gently for 3-4 hours. The meat should fall completely away from the bone when it is ready.
- Remove the shoulder of lamb and let it cool slightly - pass the sauce through a sieve into a pot.
- Mix some water with 1-2 tbsp. of corn starch. Add this to the boiling sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly.
- Brown the meat again if needed or roast in the oven at approx. 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes until crispy.