Chunky Lamb Stew

I know, I know, you don't like lamb. Did you know it has almost twice the iron of beef? And did you know how many women in are anemic postpartum? Too many.

I found this beautiful recipe from Forth Trimester Podcast and had to share it.

A little off with having meat, but personally, I don’t stick to a full Ayurvedic diet postpartum.

Ingredients

500g boneless lamb stew meat (1-inch chunks are good)

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sweet red peppers, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, chopped

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

2 tins or ~800g of canned tomatoes, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp fresh marjoram

1 tbsp fresh basil

1 tbsp fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

2 cups cleaned and chopped greens of your choice (optional)

Method

Marinate meat in the tamari, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauces for at least 15 minutes or as long as overnight.

In a VERY large pot, dump in the olive oil and all the veggies and scoop the meat out of the marinade and put in the pot. Sautee at high heat, until the lamb is not showing any pink. (It will not be brown, but will be a slight gray. This doesn't take very long. You are not trying to thoroughly cook the meat).

Add the can of tomatoes, then fill the can with water and add to the pot, along with the meat marinade. The liquid should just cover the solids. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon each, 1 bay leaf, and 1 Tblsp each of fresh marjoram, basil, and thyme, and cover.

Bring up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 1/2 hour, or until the meat is tender and the veggies are just right. Taste often and adjust for flavor as you go along. A really delicious addition is a few handfuls of greens, which can be tossed in at the end and cooked just until wilted.

Serve with hearty bread and/or light salad.

NOTES

If your butcher has only shanks available, buy 500g - 1kg and have them cut crosswise in rounds 2.5cm thick. You will cook this meat with the bone in and it will fall off the bone (or nearly so) with about ½ hour’s simmering. It is a very nutritious way to prepare this stew.