An Andalusian dish, featuring the wonderfully distinctive flavor of sherry. Dry (Fino) sherry is most commonly used here, but I have had it with the slightly nuttier Amontillado and even sweeter Oloroso, and I liked it just as well, though it is different. Don’t use cream sherry in any case. Serve this with crusty bread, by all means; the sauce is delicious. Other cuts of meat you can use here: pork or veal chops, bone-in chicken.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

　　4 lamb shoulder chops, each 6 to 8 ounces

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 medium onion, roughly chopped

　　1 carrot, roughly chopped

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 cup dry or other sherry

　　

Step 1

Put the oil in a large skillet with a lid and turn the heat to medium-high. A minute later, add the chops and quickly brown them on both sides, about 5 minutes, sprinkling the meat with salt and pepper as it browns. Transfer to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.

　　

Step 2

Put the onion, carrot, and garlic in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry, raise the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is somewhat reduced, 5 minutes or so. Return the lamb chops to the pan, cover, and cook, adjusting the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but not violently.

　　

Step 3

The lamb is done when cooked through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. If the mixture is soupy, reduce it over high heat until it has a nice saucy consistency. Pour over the meat and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.