Showing off a bit of a change of pace from the usual weekly recipe today, friends, because look at what my partner got me for my birthday!
For years, we used a slow cooker for a lot of our larger cuts of meat, but we didn’t really like it all that much. We had one that would really easily dry out or over-cook food, and we got one later that the basin cracked on, and just generally had bad experiences with them.
Eventually we got a sous vide, and that ended up taking a good portion of the purpose of the slow cooker, but I still wanted something else. A dutch oven would be perfect. It replaces a couple of thin aluminum pots and roasting pans I didn’t care for too much.
Of course, I’ve never had a real dutch oven before. I’m not used to heavy cast iron, and I’m already being super careful with it. I’ve heard these things can last forever, but I don’t exactly want to make it last forever with a chip, right?
My partner took me shopping so I could look at a few of them in person, and I decided to go for the 7.25-quart model. It’s the Deep Teal color, too, which I like a lot. In case you can’t read the lid (or don’t recognize it), it’s a Le Creuset. Fancy!
We decided to break it in with lamb! Specifically, this Mediterranean lamb recipe from Cosette’s Kitchen.
I was concerned about this recipe on two fronts, because I’ve never made one like it. The rub seemed like it had a ton of garlic and herbs, so I expected it to be pretty overpowering. It wasn’t! I was also concerned about over-cooking the lamb or under-cooking the vegetables, but it all turned out pretty much perfect.
Maybe it’s not the most photogenic pile of deliciousness, but it was certainly pretty tasty. And, all that spatter? Came right off in a bit of hot soapy water. I have zero complaints.
Look forward to more recipes making use of this cool piece of cookware in the future!