Lamb & Green Chile Stew, High Altitude

Total Time: 2 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3 lbs lamb butt (aka boston shoulder)
• 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and sliced coarse
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, briefly drained
• 5 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 -4 cups green chili peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped coarse, mild or medium heat, fresh or frozen (use the larger amount for store-bought frozen bueno-type chile, it cooks down more than home-frozen)

Recipe

• 1 trim fat from exterior of roast. cut into slices 1 inch thick; trim and discard excess fat; you will lose about 3/4 lb. to trimmings. cut trimmed lamb into 1-inch cubes.
• 2 heat oven to 250°f move top oven rack to lower-middle position.
• 3 in 4-quart or larger dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil on high until shimmering.
• 4 add half the cubed lamb. brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. transfer browned lamb to a bowl.
• 5 brown remaining lamb, adding 1 tablespoon oil if needed; transfer to bowl.
• 6 reduce heat to medium-high and add onion. saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
• 7 add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• 8 add 2 cups water, return heat to high and deglaze pan.
• 9 add the browned lamb, tomatoes, bouillon, black pepper and remaining water.
• 10 bring to a boil.
• 11 cover dutch oven and transfer to oven.
• 12 bake 1 hour.
• 13 add green chiles and bake for another hour.
• 14 if potatoes are desired, first separate out any green chile stew that will be frozen. then add cubed boiling potatoes (1 lb. potatoes for a half recipe) to remaining stew, transfer pan to stovetop and simmer until potatoes are tender.
• 15 serve potato-free stew over cooked rice.
• 16 freeze leftovers for up to 6 months.