Distinctly Montana Magazine

12 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 T H E T R E A S U R E WE'D SUGGEST THAT THE LITTLE BIT OF MAPLE USED IN OUR PULLED LAMB GIVES IT A TOOTHSOME, SAVORY-SWEET TASTE THAT JUST MIGHT CONVERT THOSE FOLKS— HECK, EVEN OUR KIDS LIKED IT. INSTRUCTIONS Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and sear on all sides until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the lamb from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Cook until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef or vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Worcester- shire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and ground cumin. Add the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs to the pot. Return the seared lamb to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook the lamb in the oven for 3-4 hours or until it easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Retain one cup or so of the sauce and pour over the lamb. Stir in the chopped mint leaves and Italian parsley to the shredded lamb and sauce. Serve the pulled lamb on buns or, if you'd prefer, rice or mashed potatoes. MAPLE PULLED LAMB WITH CILANTRO CUMIN SEED COLESLAW I F YOU'RE ANYTHING LIKE US, NOTHING SAYS SUNDAY SUPPER IN SPRING QUITE LIKE SOME WELL-PREPARED LAMB. Some don't appreciate the tang of lamb, and though we respectfully disagree we'd suggest that the little bit of maple used in our pulled lamb gives it a toothsome, savory-sweet taste that just might convert those folks—heck, even our kids liked it. Try it with a healthy scoop of the zesty cumin-seed coleslaw, and serve with flatbread, buns, rice, or mashed potatoes. INGREDIENTS 3-4 pounds of boneless leg of lamb 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup beef or vegetable broth 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped A handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped

• Cover