Recipe This | Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine (2024)

FAQs

What cut of lamb is best for tagine? ›

The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It's a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that's marbled with fat so it's beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.

Using a slow cooker may not be exactly the same but it does the job just as well. If you do have a tagine pan then you can use it instead.

A leg of lamb is naturally quite tough, since the muscle has had to work so hard, so benefits from being cooked low and slow in a slow cooker. This recipe is cooked in lamb stock and red wine to create a delicious gravy to serve your lamb with.

Stir the chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds into the couscous. To serve, place the tagine on serving plates with couscous and a wedge of lime. Serve alongside a bowl of thick Greek yoghurt.

Tips for slow cooking

Brown the lamb first, in batches if necessary. This will maintain a high heat in the pan and caramelise the juices, which will improve the colour and flavour of the meat. Although lamb is a little more fatty than other meats, don't trim all of it away before cooking.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Less water is required when cooking in a tagine because the cone-shaped top condenses steam and returns it to the dish. If you've erred by adding too much water, reduce the liquids at the end of cooking into a thick sauce because a watery sauce is not desirable.

A new tagine needs a little setting up before first use. Many chefs favour an unglazed pot for the earthy notes that diffuse from the clay, but it will need prepping via a process called “seasoning”. This is both to strengthen the pot and avoid the food taking on the raw clay flavour.

Choose a Quality Cut

Some cuts of lamb work better for slow cooking than others, so it's important to choose carefully. The best cuts of lamb for slow-cooking are the shoulder, leg, and shank. These cuts have more fat and connective tissue and tend to be tougher.

Does lamb need to be fully submerged in slow cooker? ›

No, lamb shanks don't have to be completely covered in liquid, but they also can't be dry roasted. In a slow cooker, the steam trapped inside from any added liquids will be enough to cook the shanks.

Lamb leg is lean, so to slow cook it's best to partially submerge in a flavoured liquid which keeps the flesh moist plus infuses with flavour. I'm using garlic and rosemary in this recipe – classic lamb flavours!

Create a cushion at the bottom of the tagine using vegetables like onions, celery, carrots, as well as cloves of garlic. This will help prevent the meat from burning and sticking to the bottom. Add olive oil. Many traditional recipes call for olive oil in order to create thick and rich sauces.

If you're cooking a beef and lamb tagine, we recommend drinking a red that will complement the spices - or try Eschenhof Holzer Invader orange wine!. A chicken tagine with preserved lemons can also be paired with red wines as long as these are not too overpowering.

Lamb (23%), Onions, Water, Chopped Tomatoes, Chickpeas (8%), Tomato Puree, Lamb Glace (Concentrated Broth From Lamb (Meat And Water), Malto Dextrin (Potato), Yeast Extract, Salt, Glucose, Vegetable Concentrates (Onion, Carrot, Celery, Leek, Garlic), Emulsifier (Mono- And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids) And Herb And Spice ...

Loin. This is the most tender part of the lamb, producing only the most tender and flavourful cuts. Boned and rolled loin makes for a delectable roasting joint. This is also where the juiciest chops and noisettes come from.

Shoulder or leg of lamb: both of these cuts are perfect in a stew or casserole when diced. Meat from the shoulder needs to be trimmed of excess fat first; while meat from the leg gives neater, leaner pieces of meat than the shoulder. Both are meltingly tender with a fantastic flavour.

Lamb shoulder is usually larger and has more connective tissue, so it needs to be cooked for longer than the leg before it becomes tender. Lamb leg is smaller and has less fat and connective tissue, so it cooks faster but it can be drier if it's overcooked or not cooked in enough liquid.