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Braising Lamb

post #1 of 11
4/18/12 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 

Just joined this forum and I think this is the best thing since sliced bread!!

 

I have a newbie question for the pros here.  I was trying to cook a spicy lamb and rice dish called "Kabsa" in the Middle East.  In this dish, you cook the lamb first with a bunch of spices and create a very flavorful broth which is then used to cook the rice.  You then serve the cooked lamb and rice together.

 

I used deboned lamb shoulder, cut into chunks and browned.  I then cooked the lamb with spices and water in a pressure cooker for about 30 mins.  The lamb was tender and moist.  I took it out of the broth, placed it on a warm plate and covered it with foil while I cooked the rice with the broth.  Rice turned out great!  But when I went to add the lamb to the cooked rice, the lamb was dry and tough.

 

What did I screw up??

 

Thanks in advance for any hints or suggestions.

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post #2 of 11
4/18/12 at 10:32pm

Don't take the lamb out of the broth. Braised meats dry off quickly if you take them out of the braising liquid while they're still hot. 

 

And in any case, you absolutely don't need to take the lamb off: just add the rice to the lamb+broth and continue cooking. I don't think your lamb shoulder would be overcooked but if that's a concern, cut down a bit on the time in the pressure cooker, the lamb will continue cooking with the rice. 

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post #3 of 11
4/19/12 at 2:49am

French fries is correct. leave the lamb covered with broth this not only stops from drying out but also stops color of lamb from changing(oxidation)  Take it off a few minutes earlier then normal as when you let it cool in the hot liquid it is still cooking. Kabsa by the way is a Saudi Dish usually done with chicken.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #4 of 11
4/19/12 at 4:34am

You got good advice.  Now share the recipe please smile.gif

In a nutshell
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post #5 of 11
4/20/12 at 6:25am
Thread Starter 

Thank you French Fries and Chefedb for your feedback.  I will let you know how it turns out when I try it next.

 

KouKouvagia - I will try to pen and post the recipe this weekend.

 

 

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post #6 of 11
4/23/12 at 4:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by French Fries View Post

Don't take the lamb out of the broth. Braised meats dry off quickly if you take them out of the braising liquid while they're still hot. 

 

And in any case, you absolutely don't need to take the lamb off: just add the rice to the lamb+broth and continue cooking. I don't think your lamb shoulder would be overcooked but if that's a concern, cut down a bit on the time in the pressure cooker, the lamb will continue cooking with the rice. 



What do you think the best time to cook it is if I were going for like medium rare?
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post #7 of 11
4/23/12 at 5:22pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChefMasterJohn View Post

What do you think the best time to cook it is if I were going for like medium rare?

 

In the afternoon. 

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post #8 of 11
4/30/12 at 9:58pm
Thread Starter 

Well, I used some of the advice I received from here and tried the kabsa again.  This was only a small portion for a test.  Used a lamb shank and braised it for 2 hours instead of pressure cooking.  Then left the shank immersed in broth while I cooked the rice.  Lamb was tender and moist and tasty.  Here's a pic.  Will post a detailed recipe soon.  Thanks for all the advice.

 

Kabsa1.JPG

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post #9 of 11
5/2/12 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 

Here's the recipe

 

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/70353/lamb-kabsa-my-version

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post #10 of 11
5/2/12 at 6:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZFoodie View Post

Here's the recipe

 

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/70353/lamb-kabsa-my-version

 

Great - thanks a lot for sharing! :D

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post #11 of 11
5/3/12 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZFoodie View Post

Here's the recipe

 

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/70353/lamb-kabsa-my-version

 

Thanks for sharing, I'll put it on my list of dishes to make!

In a nutshell
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