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Cobbed braised lamb breast

Elly Swanson

Elly Swanson

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This one pot dish could easily be done whilst camping: over a campfire, in a dutch oven using traditional methods or any casserole type dish in a cooker that you can just turn on and leave. I used my charcoal Cobb oven/grill. Low and slow is the perfect method for lamb breast, strong, robust flavours just waiting to be released and complemented by other ingredients. So this could equally be started on the hobb and transferred to an electric slow cooker or a thermal (Mr D’s type) thermal pot.

Not so long ago the Guardian newspaper stated that lamb breast (sometimes called lamb belly) was “The cut of meat that chefs love but butchers throw away”. It seems now though that it’s having a bit of a resurgence (as things usually do when chefs start getting excited) and in Sainsbury’s this week lamb breast is £7.00 per kilo, making my 0.899 kg, pre boned and rolled, vacuum packed, joint £6.29.

Here’s what I did with it:

10 Australian heat beads started with 2 firelighters and accelerated with my kelly kettle. In the meantime the lamb was prepared. Unrolled and seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides. The the meaty side was sprinkled with oregano, chilly flakes, lemon zest and torn up anchovies. Then rolled tightly and tied up.
7D6144E5-F526-4F86-9A59-32F77D273203.jpeg
I decided to use my cast iron bottomed tagine as the dish would need basting and if you lift the Cobb lid you leak a lot of heat. The conical shape of the tagine lid traps steam at the top which condenses and drops back on to the food, so basting sorted.

I placed the pot in the Cobb directly over the charcoal and in olive oil (some from the anchovy tin) seared the lamb all round. 1DFF8BA4-DEE0-4315-8CD2-0413A40F7298.jpeg
Then I removed the lamb to fry red onion, whole squashed garlic cloves And a small red chilli pepper.1FC321CC-E2B2-41E1-9DCB-7B8A79748616.jpeg
I poured in dry white wine to deglaze the pan then after about 5 mins boiling added tinned tomatoes, black olives, capers, a little more lemon zest and some more oregano and chilli flakes. When it was bubbling nicely I added the lamb.
EAF6A6B8-E6DC-419C-A995-65D28A61ED8F.jpeg

I lifter the pot on to a grill plate to braise gently over indirect heat. With the tagine and Cobb lid on I left it for two hours. As I’d completely forgotten about accompanying veg I chopped some carrots and put them in buttered foil parcels in the Cobb’s moat for the last half hour. E05D5868-3E96-4483-AED0-5EB30EF77B83.jpeg

I cooked plain boiled rice on the hobb, but it could have been done in the Cobb as well if I’d have planned it in.

It was all very delicious. I think next time I’ll leave it braising for another hour to render the fat even more.

I strained the sauce and kept some of the liquid for soup next week.

If you’re a well prepared camping cook you could prepare the stuffed lamb at home in advance, even freezing it to let it defrost slowly in the fridge.

In the future I’ll use 2 less heat beads, but replenish with a couple of newly started beads at the 2 hr point.
 
Last edited:
Where did you obtain the tagging, Ellie?

tagine!
 
Where did you obtain the tagging, Ellie?

tagine!
It was from Aldi last year in the UK and not available now. The make is “Crofton”. You may be able to pick one up off ebay. It’s a great pot to have in the kitchen.

I sometimes use the base as a fry dish on its own

or as a bread pan.
9BFB888A-2376-43EE-B34A-BEDB6B63B4C3.jpeg
 
I try to cook most things on my Cobb. Always with smoking pellets and liquid (left over marinade sauce) in the moat. Always very tender meat and yummy jacket potatoes. I like the idea of the tagine...
 
I try to cook most things on my Cobb. Always with smoking pellets and liquid (left over marinade sauce) in the moat. Always very tender meat and yummy jacket potatoes. I like the idea of the tagine...
Hi Alison. I got one years ago when it first came to the UK. Now I have a Premmier and the newer Air. I take it camping and also use it at home loads.

I’ve only smoked a handful of times but was quite successful. Keep thinking I must do more.
 
Hi Alison. I got one years ago when it first came to the UK. Now I have a Premmier and the newer Air. I take it camping and also use it at home loads.

I’ve only smoked a handful of times but was quite successful. Keep thinking I must do more.
It’s always a must for me. There are herb ones. Just adds more flavour. But reduces the temperature, so need to balance it.
 
It was from Aldi last year in the UK and not available now. The make is “Crofton”. You may be able to pick one up off ebay. It’s a great pot to have in the kitchen.

I sometimes use the base as a fry dish on its own

or as a bread pan.
View attachment 69121
Got a tagine off eBay for 25£ and will look forward to using it next year in Cobb. Great for sourdough when upturned cast pot placed on top. Today bought myself an xmas present for bread baking as now not spending dosh on festivities due to another lock-in - bit expensive but positive reviews. https://www.sourdough.co.uk/courses/the-challenger-bread-pan/ tempImageCzK3pn.pngtempImageYxWOBi.png
 
Got a tagine off eBay for 25£ and will look forward to using it next year in Cobb. Great for sourdough when upturned cast pot placed on top. Today bought myself an xmas present for bread baking as now not spending dosh on festivities due to another lock-in - bit expensive but positive reviews. https://www.sourdough.co.uk/courses/the-challenger-bread-pan/ View attachment 70870View attachment 70871
Love than pan you’ve bought. Looks like that’ll be a great investment, altvic.
 

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