Braised Lamb Ragu

5 from 4 votes

This braised lamb ragu is the ultimate comfort food. Fall apart tender slow braised lamb in a rich sauce that is packed with flavor. This lamb ragu tastes restaurant quality but is a low effort high reward dish that can be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker or instant pot.

Prep Time25

Cook Time3

Total Time3 25

Course: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar Free, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal

Cuisine: American, Italian, Pasta

Keyword: Lamb Pasta, Lamb Ragout, Lamb Ragu

Servings:

Author: Carmen Sturdy

Ingredients

2 lbs lamb shoulder or boneless leg (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots finely diced
2 sticks celery finely diced
1 yellow onion diced
2 cups diced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
1 cup red wine
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups beef stock

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the cubed lamb and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until all sides are lightly browned. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside
Lower the heat to medium and add the carrot, celery, onion, mushrooms, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, thyme and rosemary. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent
Add the wine, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Cook for 5 minutes.
Place the lamb and sauce in an ovenproof pot, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, take the pot out of the oven. Using a slotted spoon remove all of the pieces of lamb from the pot and place on a cutting board.
Using a potato masher, mash the vegetables in the sauce so they break down into smaller pieces, thickening the sauce.
Using two forks, shred the lamb into small thin pieces. Place the shredded lamb back into the sauce stir and serve over your favorite pasta or store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

For Whole30: use 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar in place of the red wine and increase the quantity of beef stock to 2 1/2 cups.

Instant Pot Instructions: Turn the instant pot to sear and sear the lamb. Next remove the lamb and add in the veggies and cook for a few more minutes before returning the lamb to the instant pot and pouring in the wine, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, herbs and beef stock. Turn the instant pot to high pressure and cook for 60 minutes followed by natural release. Remove the lamb pieces, shred and return them to the sauce.

Slow Cooker Instructions: You can easily make this Braised Lamb Ragu in the slow cooker. If you have a slow cooker with a sear function that’s ideal, otherwise I would recommend searing the lamb in a pot on the stove before transferring the browned meat to the slow cooker. Searing the meat adds a lot of flavour and a caramelized texture to the outside which greatly benefits the final dish so don’t skip this step! Next add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and cook them for a few minutes to develop some flavour. Transfer the vegetables and lamb to the slow cooker along with all of the remaining ingredients and leave it to cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high until the meat is very tender.

Nutrition