After my meat shopping adventure, I was ready to cook up some lamb’s neck.  I’d had it at Incanto a long time ago, and more recently read a blog post emphasizing that you can braise it similar to osso bucco.  With that in mind I set about creating a basic beer-based braise.

I started by dusting my lamb in flour, searing and searing them in a dutch oven.  While the waited for maillard reaction to work it’s magic, I broke down some mirepoix and contemplated what beer to use.

 

I knew I wanted something with low hops, since as the hops cook down they can become bitter.  Originally I was contemplating something dark, but seeing as how the weather had eased up a bit, and so many osso bucco recipes call for a white wine braise, I decided to stay seasonal, and opted to continue to cook using Gordon Biersch Festbier. It’d be a hit before, so why stop now? Plus, I really need to clear this stuff out of the fridge.  I figured the light malt would be a delicate backbone to the braising liquid.

After browning the meat, I added the veggies, some tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, the beer and chicken stock, brought the whole thing up to a boil, added back in the lamb, and parked it in the oven until my whole house smelled delicious.

 

 

This is a great meal for a Sunday evening.  You start it in the morning, leave it alone for the afternoon in the over, and come dinner time, there is a warm and rich dinner waiting, with minimal effort to put it on table when it’s needed.

Still thinking about the blog post that reminded me of lamb neck in the first place, I asked Eli if she’d cook up some grits, which she did with gusto.  She used a mild white “German Mountain Cheese” to add richness, and a hint of cayenne that made it really pop. Along with some roasted broccoli, the whole meal came together at dinner with ease.

 

 

By time dinner was on the table, the sun had set and the usual autumnal chill had crept into San Francisco. To stay warm, I decided it was time to check on a bottle of my Bay Area Brew Crew Barrel Aged Barelywine.  I had bottled it a few months ago, along with some fresh yeast and priming sugar.  Unfortunately, the carbonation in this bottle left something be desired.  There was the faintest hint of carbonation, but not nearly enough.  It still was delicious (especially after warming up a bit) with great roasted malt flavors, and a clear oaky finish.  It provided a great compliment to the lamb.

Speaking of the lamb – it came out great.  The beer lended a slight sweetness, and in the reduced cooking liquid there was the faintest hint of bitterness from the hops.  The bones released collagen goodness, and the resulting meat was rich and wonderful – I’d highly recommend the cut again it the future. On a colder night, I think braising in a really big, really dark beer could hold some promise as well. Or maybe in a winter seasonal, reinforced with additional spices in the braise – Anchor Steam Christmas Ale braise anyone?

 

 

Tags: barleywine, briase, Lamb, lamb neck, oktoberfest

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 at 4:56 am and is filed under Pairings, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.