Portuguese Lamb in Red Wine

To marinate the lamb, first dice the onion and smash the garlic. Gather the bay leaves and paprika. Using a large Dutch oven, place 2 cloves of garlic and 2 bay leaves on the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the onion. Set half of the lamb shoulder chops into the pot, making sure the layer is somewhat snug. Season generously with salt, freshly cracked pepper, and half of the paprika. Add a bit more garlic and bay leaves, and another 1/3 of the onion. Place the remaining chops on top and season again with salt, pepper and the remaining paprika. To finish, pour in red wine to cover, pushing the chops down into the liquid if needed. Cover and let marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

To cook the dish, preheat your oven to 400º degrees Fahrenheit. Remove two large pieces of zest from an orange and trim off any of the bitter, white pith. Add the zest to the pot and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Submerge the parsley into the liquid, cover the pot and place into the oven. Braise for at least three hours, until the meat is fork tender.

To check if the lamb is done, the meat should easily fall off of the bone. If it doesn't, return to the oven for an additional half an hour or so, and check again. Once the lamb is cooked, you can serve it with the sauce as is. To remove excess fat from the sauce, remove the pieces of meat and pour the sauce into a fat separator. Alternatively, you can cool the sauce then refrigerate it. Once the fat hardens, you can easily remove it from the surface. Just reheat the meat and fat-free sauce and serve. Either way it’s up to you. This rustic dish is excellent served over your favorite pasta and alongside a nice big salad.