Lamb Braised in Yogurt with Onions and Tomatoes

Name: Lamb Braised in Yogurt with Onions and Tomatoes
Yield: serves 4 as a main course
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for rubbing; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 large unpeeled cloves garlic; 5 large ripe tomatoes; 2 poblano or large jalapeno chiles; 1 pound white onions, shredded (4 cups); 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; Pinch of red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; Splash of red wine vinegar; 3 cups chicken stock; 5 cups whole-milk yogurt, drained overnight through a fine-mesh sieve; 5 teaspoons cornstarch; Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

January 24, 2012

This is a braised version of a traditional Turkish kebab dish. It’s adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen by Ayla Algar. The meat is marinated in yogurt and lemon juice overnight to ensure tenderness. A separate yogurt sauce is used to braise the lamb. The result is very tender meat in a rich, flavorful sauce. Cooking in a wood-fired oven adds a slight smokiness and depth to the onions and tomatoes. Serve this with couscous or rice pilaf.

Cooks' Note

To stabilize the yogurt to prevent curdling when heated, stir in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of yogurt. Also, make sure the yogurt is at room temperature before heating.

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