Pressure Cooker Lamb Shoulder with Red Wine and Carrots
Tender lamb shoulder braised in red wine with sweet carrots, onions and rosemary. A one-pot pressure cooker dinner that comes out rich and savory, not spicy.
- Total
- 100 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 75 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Braising
- Savory
- No rush
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
-
Pat the lamb shoulder dry with paper towels and cut it into 4 cm chunks. Season all over with the salt and black pepper.
~5 min
A dry surface prevents steaming so the meat browns instead of turning grey.
-
Peel and roughly chop the onions and carrots into 2 cm pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with the flat side of a knife.
~8 min
-
Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting and add the olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the lamb in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Work in two batches if the pieces do not fit in one layer, adding a little more oil only if needed.
~6 min
Browning in a single layer creates Maillard flavor; crowding traps steam and boils the meat.
Browning the lamb in batches keeps the pieces from steaming; a dry surface and a hot pot give the deep color that flavors the sauce.
Searing Get the pot hot and leave the lamb undisturbed until it releases easily; moving it too soon tears the crust and steams the meat.
-
Add the onions, carrots, garlic and rosemary to the pot. Stir and cook on the sauté setting until the onions soften and pick up color, about 5 minutes.
~5 min
Sautéing the vegetables softens them and builds a sweet, savory base for the braise.
-
Pour in the 150 ml red wine and the 100 ml water. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift the browned bits. Lock the lid and cook under high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening.
~55 min
Deglazing lifts the browned bits into the liquid, and pressure cooking forces moisture into the meat so collagen melts into gelatin.
Braising Keep the meat partly submerged in liquid and cook gently; too little liquid scorches, too much dilutes the sauce.
-
Open the cooker and check the lamb: it should be fork-tender. If the sauce is thin, set the cooker to the sauté setting and reduce for 5 minutes. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
~5 min
Reducing the sauce concentrates flavor and evaporates water so it clings to the lamb.