This is a braised version of a traditional Turkish kebab dish. It’s adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen by Ayla Algar. The meat is marinated in yogurt and lemon juice overnight to ensure tenderness. A separate yogurt sauce is used to braise the lamb. The result is very tender meat in a rich, flavorful sauce. Cooking in a wood-fired oven adds a slight smokiness and depth to the onions and tomatoes. Serve this with couscous or rice pilaf.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as a main course

　　2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

　　

Marinade

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　1 teaspoon cumin seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for rubbing

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　3 large unpeeled cloves garlic

　　5 large ripe tomatoes

　　2 poblano or large jalapeno chiles

　　1 pound white onions, shredded (4 cups)

　　1 tablespoon cumin seeds

　　Pinch of red pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon ground allspice

　　1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

　　Splash of red wine vinegar

　　3 cups chicken stock

　　5 cups whole-milk yogurt, drained overnight through a fine-mesh sieve

　　5 teaspoons cornstarch

　　Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the lamb in a large self-sealing plastic bag. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add to the bag. Marinate the lamb for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding.

　　

Step 2

Prepare a medium heat fire (325°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.

　　

Step 3

Drain the meat and pat dry. Rub it with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Roast the garlic, tomatoes, and poblano chiles in a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat until the skins are toasted and blistered. Transfer to a plate and let cool to the touch. Peel and seed the tomatoes and chiles. Finely chop all.

　　

Step 5

Heat the olive oil in a nonreactive skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions, cumin, red pepper flakes, allspice, and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and vinegar, then place the lamb on top of the mixture. Add 1 1/2 cups of the stock. Spoon some of the onion mixture over the lamb. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables have melted slightly.

　　

Step 6

In a separate bowl, combine the drained yogurt and cornstarch. Stir the remaining stock and the drained yogurt mixture into the lamb. Cover and return to the oven to cook for another 30 minutes, or until the lamb is fork-tender. The sauce will look curdled at this point. Transfer the lamb to a plate and use a hand blender to smooth the sauce, then return to medium heat, uncovered, to thicken, about 15 minutes. Add the braised lamb, cover with some of the sauce and return to the oven, uncovered, to heat through.

　　

Step 7

Serve the lamb hot over couscous, topped with the sauce and garnished with parsley.

　　Cooks' Note

　　To stabilize the yogurt to prevent curdling when heated, stir in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of yogurt. Also, make sure the yogurt is at room temperature before heating.

　　Reprinted with permission from Wood-Fired Cooking: Techniques and Recipes for the Grill, Backyard Oven, Fireplace, and Campfire by Mary Karlin, copyright © 2009. Photography copyright © 2009 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press.