Life at Laughing Frog Farm
When Glen Miracle set out to grow food for his family, starting a full-fledged farm wasn’t on his mind. “I had no intention of farming when I moved out here,” he said. “I just wanted to grow my own fo...
This is a recipe by Glen Miracle, farmer and owner of Laughing Frog Farm. He roasts lamb bones brushed with tomato paste and uses these to make broth that slowly cooks for up to 48 hours in an oven at 200°F. This reduces the liquid by about 80%. Towards the end he normally adds Guinness but has taken to adding local stouts, like the Running Walker Stout that he gets from Braman brewery in Richmond, Texas!
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 6 Serving(s)
- 2 pounds lamb bones
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 gallons water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 large onions, halved and peeled
- 4 carrots
- 4 celery stalks
- ½ tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- ½ bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 twig fresh thyme and 1 rosemary sprig, tied in a bunch for easy removal
- 1 large carrot, cut in rounds
- 1–2 large potato or sweet potato (or mixed), cubed
- 1 bottle stout beer
- salt/pepper to taste
Preparation
For the bone broth
Brush the lamb bones with tomato paste. Roast the bones in the oven at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until browned.
Transfer the bones to a large pot and add about 2 gallons of water. Add vinegar, onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns, herbs, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for up to 48 hours (we tested it at 18 hours and it was delicious - can't imagine how good it would be at 48 hours!). This can be done in the oven at 200°. Add hot water if the pot runs too dry: as the broth simmers, the liquid reduces. You end up with about 20–25% of the original liquid, leaving you with a strong, concentrated stock.
Strain out the bones and vegetables. Season stock to taste with salt and pepper (you don’t add salt to the stock before simmering: Salt does not reduce!)
For the stew
Season lamb shoulder with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Remove meat from the pan. Add some more olive oil if needed and brown the onion on medium-low heat until translucent, scraping up the bits of stuck browned meat as you go. Add the carrots and cook for another couple minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the stout beer into the hot pan to deglaze. Add the browned meat, tied herbs and about 3 cups bone broth and simmer for about 2 hours on low heat.
Bring back to a full boil, add the potatoes and continue to cook over medium heat until the potatoes are done.
About this recipe
Coming up November 11: Slow Food Houston Ark of Taste farm dinner at Laughing Frog Farm—family-style food as we learn more about rare breeds and seeds. Email francine@ediblehouston.com for more information
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