Lamb Roast w/Fennel and Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

3lb Lamb Shoulder Roast

1T. Bacon Fat 

1 Fennel Bulb, trimmed and cut into quarters lengthwise (leave the stem intact) 

2 Rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1.5" cubes

2 Beets, peeled, halved, and quartered

6 Carrots, peeled and cut into 2" chunks

2T. Fennel Seeds, ground

1T. Dried Oregano

1/2T. Sea Salt

1tsp. Dried Rosemary

1tsp. Garlic Powder

1. Preheat oven to 375F*. 
2. Mix ground fennel seed, oregano, salt, rosemary, and garlic powder in a smal bowl and set aside. 
3. Rub the lamb roast with 2T. of the salt mixture and set aside.
4. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add bacon fat. Transfer lamb roast to the dutch oven, fat side down, and brown, 7-10 minutes. 
5. Once the fat side is browned, remove roast from the pan and transfer to a plate. Add cut vegetables to the dutch oven and toss in oil to coat. Place the roast, fat side up, back into the dutch oven on top of the vegetables.
6. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven.
7. Cook the meat and veggies until the meat begins to fall off the bone, about 4 hours. 
8. Serve garnish with fresh herbs. 

*Alternatively, you may make this in a crock pot; follow steps 2-5, but transfer everything to a crock pot, instead of the dutch oven. Cooking time will vary. Follow your manufacturer's instructions.

 

As most of you may know...we're in the process of moving, so I apologize for the lack of posts. To be honest, I've been eating a lot of the same stuff and making meals that I could pretty much throw together in my sleep. I've also ben eating a lot of leftovers, which is what inspired this meal. We are moving over the next two days, so I will not have access to any of my cooking supplies. I knew that I would need to make something that would create leftovers and had a lamb shoulder roast thawing in my fridge (I was going to make this for Easter, but we ended up going out for sushi). Perfect! It took just a few minutes to prepare and the rest was waiting. Also, perfect! And, to top it off, I only had one pot to clean. I love lamb and think that these flavors work really well together. You can really use this recipe for any roast, you'll just want to adjust the seasoning (this would work for pork, lamb, or a whole chicken, but the flavors may not work as well with beef) to pair with the meat you'll be using. Enjoy!

I'm excited to be moving back to the Northwest and am looking forward to the fresh produce, local foods, and...my own garden! I'll be in transition (without anything but the goods I can fit into my two suitcases (<100lbs), so bear with me and I'll see you in Portland!