Slow Cooked Rosemary Lamb Ragù

This is the kind of dish that transforms a weekend into something special — tender lamb shoulder melts into a rich, deeply flavored sauce that tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though the oven does the heavy lifting.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg lamb shoulder, cut into chunky pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 800 g canned tomatoes
• 250 ml red wine
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh pasta or polenta to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot and brown the lamb in batches until deeply golden — don't rush this.
2. Set lamb aside, sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until softened.
3. Return lamb to the pot, add tomatoes, wine, rosemary, and bay leaves.
4. Cover and cook low and slow in the oven at 160°C for 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally, until lamb is impossibly tender.
5. Serve over fresh pasta or creamy polenta with crusty bread.

Full recipe at RecipeTin Eats →

Chef's tip: Don't skip browning the lamb properly — those caramelized edges build the depth that makes this ragù taste like it belongs in a Middle Eastern feast.