Braised Lamb with Peppers and Onions

Serves 6

This is an easy and delicious recipe for braised lamb. The combination of the herbs with a hint of cinnamon adds a very special flavor. All you need is rice, noodles or pasta as a bed for the lamb and sauce for a complete meal. If desired, you can use the same sauce to braise other cuts of lamb, such as cut up shoulder or whole shanks. I purposely developed this as a way to use meat from the leg when I purchase it whole and cut it apart for several different presentations. The recipe can be made in any amount needed.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean lamb meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, broken up, with juices
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan. Brown the meat on all sides, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes in all. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onion, green and red peppers and garlic to the pan; sauté about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from bottom of pan. Add the tomatoes and stir again. Return the lamb and accumulated juices to the pan. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 hours. If desired, remove the lid and cook just until the juices have reduced slightly. Serve immediately with rice, noodles or pasta.