Lamb And Chili Stew

Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 lamb cutlets
• 4 -5 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 ancho chilies (dried poblano peppers)
• 2 guajillo chilies (a variety of dried pepper)
• 2 pasilla chiles (a variety of dried pepper)
• 1 -2 dried arbol chiles (or to taste ( omit if you want a mild stew) or 1 -2 dried chipotle chile (or to taste ( omit if you want a mild stew)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or piloncillo, if you have it)
• salt
• 1 -4 cup stock (as needed to cover food in crockpot) or 1 -4 cup water (as needed to cover food in crockpot)
• 3 tablespoons red wine
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking grits (more or less as needed for thickening, or use masa harina, if you have it)

Recipe

• 1 remove the stems and seeds of the dried ancho, guajillo, and pasilla peppers. remove the stems, but do not de-seed, the arbol or chipotle peppers (unless you want to cut down on the heat they give the stew).
• 2 toast the peppers in the oven to crisp briefly if needed, then grind the peppers to a medium-fine powder. i usually use a coffee grinder.
• 3 put the olive oil into the bottom of a crockpot. add the ground chilis, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, salt, lamb, and carrots. add stock or water sufficient to cover the ingredients, then add the brown sugar.
• 4 cok for 2 hours on high. then add the wine, and slowly add grits sufficient to thicken the gravy.
• 5 cook another 2 hours on low.
• 6 serve over rice. fresh fruit makes a good accompaniment.