Braised Lamb Tacos

Lamb 6 oz, braised and pulled (see below)

Root Vegetable Pico de Gallo 1 C (see below)

Rosemary Crème Fraiche ¼ C

Micro Greens or other garnish to make it look pretty

For the Lamb:

For this recipe I suggest using lamb shoulder or leg.

Begin by seasoning the lamb shoulder or leg with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large stock pot or dutch oven (best option), heat 2 Tbsp oil until very hot. Add the lamb and sear on all sides until brown. Add 2 C red wine, 1 quart lamb of beef stock, 1 chopped carrot, ½ chopped yellow onion, 1 rib chopped celery and 1 bay leaf. Cover this pot and place in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours or until the lamb is fork tender. This can be done over a longer period of time in a crock pot cooker if you prefer.

For the Root Vegetable Pico de Gallo:

Carrot 1 each, peeled and diced small

Parsnip 1 each, peeled and diced small

Turnip 1 each, peeled and diced small

Lime Juice 1 tsp

Cilantro ½ bunch chopped fine (about ¼ C)

Garlic 1 tsp minced fine

Vegetable Oil 1 Tbsp

Begin by either roasting the vegetables (carrot, parsnip, turnip) or blanching them in boiling water to soften them. You don't want the vegetables to be too crisp, but not soft and mushy either. Once they are cooked to desired doneness, place them in the refrigerator to cool. Once cool, toss the vegetables with the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the Rosemary Crème Fraiche:

I like making my crème fraiche as simple as possible. Some say you need to let cream and buttermilk sit at room temp for days to let it thicken properly to make crème fraiche. I, on the other hand, prefer to mix sour cream and heavy cream to a pourable consistency (like ranch dressing consistency) and then flavoring it as I please. For this recipe, mix ½ C sour cream with ½ C heavy cream until smooth. Add 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

To build the tacos:

Start with your favorite tortillas, corn or flour, and add 1 oz of the lamb, then top with 2 Tbsp of the pico and finish with a dollop of the crème fraiche. Garnish with micro greens, parsley or nothing at all. Enjoy!