Name: Spalla di Montone con le Olive (Braised Lamb Shoulder with Olives)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 cup Mediterranean-style green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped; ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; 3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks; Olive oil, as needed; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; ½ cup dry white wine (optional); 3 onions, sliced; 1 or 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (optional); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional); 2 cups meat broth, or as needed

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Cucina Ebraica

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 1998

About

Leg of lamb can be costly, even today. Leave it to the thrifty ghetto Jews of Rome to come up with the economy version. Traditionally, a boned shoulder of lamb was rubbed with salt, pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, then rolled and tied. Mira Sacerdoti’s family made this without the cinnamon but added a bay leaf and thyme. The best way to prepare the rather tough lamb shoulder is to braise it until it is meltingly tender. In addition, instead of boning, rolling, and tying the s