Recipes

Lamb Neck Stew with Polenta

  • Serves

    serves 4

This stew is from Bari, a coastal town in southeastern Italy, where lamb is a staple.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 lb. lambs' necks, in pieces
  • 2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 23 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°. Cook onions and garlic in oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until soft, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Add onion mixture, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 hours.

Step 3

About 45 minutes before lamb is done, begin making polenta. Combine cornmeal and 7 cups cold salted water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 40 minutes.

Step 4

About 20 minutes before lamb is done, add beans. Continue cooking, until lamb is very tender. Discard bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and spoon over polenta.

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