West Kerry Lamb Shoulder Braised with Oranges and Olives DF, GF
Regenerative Agriculture and The Way We Used To Be
"Transformation to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts. Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes will have to double, and the consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced to 50%. A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits." – Prof. Walter Willett MD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
At some point during the Covid haze, I was invited to an invigorating small-scale farm walk here in Castlegregory. From the main road, we followed a tree-covered path down a hill that led us out onto green fields perfumed with wild mint before climbing up onto epic dunes that one would only expect to see in their dreams. Tiny birds played overhead as we took in sweeping Atlantic views as part of the unexpected climax. Every step that we took on the tour brought awe and wonder as our hosts spoke of history, tradition, innovation, biodiversity, sustainability, land, water, weather patterns, challenges, loss, dreams, gains, and Regenerative Agriculture. Regenerative Agriculture was not a term that I was familiar with at the time, but with the introduction of the concept, I wanted to learn more.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
"Regenerative Agriculture describes holistic farming systems that, among other benefits, improve water and air quality, enhance ecosystem biodiversity, produce nutrient-dense food, and store carbon to help mitigate the effects of climate change."
If you are not already familiar with this term, Regenerative Agriculture is currently being promoted by major government agencies and sustainable food organizations together with similar models as a major solution for climate change. There is an important study published by IPES FOOD (International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems) that "focuses on how the terms agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and nature-based solutions (in food and agriculture) are mobilized and debated by actors in global policy processes relating to sustainable food systems" and it is a study worth examining if these topics are also of interest to you. Regenerative Agriculture is one of the models that I am eager to support not only because of the quality food that it brings but because of the huge impact that it makes.
I thought that I had visited the one Regenerative farm that we had here on the Dingle Peninsula until this time last year when Acumeen Farm, also here in Castlegregory, found its way to my Instagram feed. They were advertising the upcoming availability of pasture-raised eggs from Regenerative Agriculture together with grass-fed lamb and beef. Up until then, the ability to consistently purchase a good egg in our area has been virtually non-existent. Throughout this past year, Acumeen's egg business has flourished here on the Dingle Peninsula and beyond and it’s such a great thing to see.
Just before Christmas, a message came through the customer's Whatsapp to let us know that they now had lamb available. It was yet another offer that we couldn't refuse and the motivation for this Instagram post:
"Not your typical holiday fare, but yesterday I had a notion to make some polenta with a ragù di agnello or Lamb Ragù while doing a bit of a fridge and larder clear out.
The rural food and lifestyle traditions in the West of Ireland and Central Italy have more in common than one might think. One being a pastoral heritage and the corresponding culinary use of lamb which would have been exclusively organic and grass-fed until modern times.
We have never consumed more meat than we do today. Traditionally, in many rural classes, meat was only consumed during the holidays if you were fortunate, and in some families, the best cuts would have been sold for profit.
In Contigliano it is not uncommon for me to randomly find half of a lamb or "mezzo agnello" butchered by the local farmer sitting in the middle of my kitchen table. You know, the ultimate gift from your Italian mother-in-law.
Lamb is something that I really like to eat. As the granddaughter of a sheep farmer, grass-fed lamb is what I would have been nourished on in utero and like most residents in the West of Ireland, it's in my DNA. This past year in our desire to eat less, but quality local meat, I was incredibly excited to come across @acumeenfarm here in Castlegregory who sell pasture-raised eggs and exclusively grass-fed lamb as part of a regenerative farming model that supports the environment.
And yes, we have tasted what is probably some of the world's best lamb here in West Kerry, but as we opened a bottle of Valpolicella and dipped our forks into that ragu' made with Acumeen's tender, lean and delicate mince, I must say it was one of the nicest that I have ever made due to the quality of the local ingredients.
Spooned on top of our local polenta tipo fioretto from the mill of Santa Susanna near Contigliano, covered with a snowy dusting of Pecorino Romano, and another fresh grating of the last of the truffle. It was divine.
I will be sharing the recipe on Green Italian Kitchen. Served with gnocchi, pasta, crespelle, polenta, or risotto - a lamb ragù is the gift that keeps on giving as we endure these cold winter months and will help to satisfy cravings into the Spring."
The EAT-Lancet Commission Brief for Everyone published by the EAT Forum in their effort to "present a global planetary health diet that is healthy for both people and planet" encourages individuals to
"Support regenerative farming practices. As livestock are central to sustainable farming, sourcing meat from farmers that practice regenerative agriculture can support the fight against climate change."
And while I am yet to share my ragù recipe, I decided to prepare this Lamb Shoulder braised with Oranges and Olives for my lamb-loving mother who spent many years of her life growing up on the said farm here in West Kerry. The result was the best that it has ever been, and again, I credit the quality of Acumeen's lean, tender, and flavourful meat.
This is a recipe that I have made every year for Christmas or Easter since we moved to Ireland. The lamb that is often left on my table in Contigliano is great cooked “alla scottadito” over an open fire, but you could do the backstroke in the fat that it leaves behind in the pan which is something that I do not prefer. I love that I can prepare this recipe in one Dutch oven, with the guarantee that I am going to have an incredibly tender cut of meat to serve, and what's even better is that the braising liquid doubles as the most delicious sauce which is one less thing to worry about. We usually enjoy this dish with rosemary and garlic roast potatoes (cut your potatoes and toss them in olive oil, sea salt and black pepper together with whole cloves of garlic, and a few sprigs of rosemary. Throw them into the oven on a baking tray near the end of the cooking time and then hike the heat up to 200C while the lamb rests) which I have included here or a bowl of silky mash.
The olives used in this recipe come from the olive trees in our garden in Contigliano. The deal is that we pick them, and my mother-in-law traditionally cures them with orange rind. You will often find these olives served as part of a humble antipasto in Sabina. They add to this recipe, but any cured black olive will do (see notes below). These are the same olives that Riccardo served when cooking me lunch at his apartment in Rome almost fourteen years ago to this day. I found them highly addictive, so I had no choice but to return.
West Kerry Lamb Shoulder Braised with Oranges and Olives DF, GF
Spalla di agnello con arance e olive
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
1.5kgs boneless lamb shoulder
2 tbsp quality tomato purée
250ml fresh beef/lamb stock or water + stock cube
250ml dry white wine
1 medium onion finely chopped
6 whole cloves of garlic in their jackets
3 fat anchovies
2 handfuls of cured black olives rinsed (see notes)
1 organic unwaxed orange, unpeeled and cut into 6 slices
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 160C.
Season your shoulder well. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or oven+hob-proof pot over medium-high heat. Add the shoulder to the oil turning it every few minutes so that it browns on all sides. Pay attention to the level of the heat so that you are browning, not burning. Turn down the heat very low then remove the shoulder and set it to one side.
Melt the anchovies in the warm oil, add your tomato purée, cook for a few minutes, and then add your chopped onion and the garlic cloves stirring to coat all of the ingredients in the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and transparent.
Add the herbs to the pan, stir, then return your meat and its juices to the pan before adding the oranges, olives, and wine. Season and then cover the pan tightly before putting it in the oven. Baste and gently turn the lamb once every hour for 3.5-4 hours. It is ready when the meat is golden and fork tender and the liquid has slightly darkened and reduced. Let the meat rest for thirty minutes, slice, and serve covered with the warm basting liquid. Strain the rest into a recipient for the table in case anyone desires a little more on the side.
Notes: Look for quality, lean and tender lamb for this recipe. Any plain cured black olive will do. Make sure to rinse away any excess salt or oil. You may get lucky in your local Italian deli with the rare find of olives preserved with orange rind or even a jar of taggiasche. In terms of cooking temperature, our oven is very hot so I tend to cook this recipe at 150C.