Recipe and Wine Pairing

Fall and winter call for slow cooker and crock pot comfort food. Imagine the delicious smell that greets you at the door after a long day… your slow cooked lamb and root vegetables are ready to serve. Enjoy this recipe and wine pairing from Woodinville Wine Country social media fan, Kristina Schreiner.

Slow Cooked Lamb and Root Vegetables

Ingredients:
6- 1″ thick bone in lamb loin chops
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of carrots cleaned and roughly chopped
3 cups of parsnips cleaned and roughly chopped
2 cups Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon
1-14 oz can of diced tomatoes-I sometimes use Italian flavored or roasted tomatoes (anything you have on hand is fine)
1 tbsp herbs de Provence
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Allow meat to come up to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before searing. Turn crock pot on low to allow to heat up while you prepare everything else. Heat skillet up over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan. Season both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on both sides until it is nicely browned. Make sure you sear the meat in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan.

Once all the meat has been browned, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow to cool down for a couple of minutes. I like to add the lamb to the slow cooker at this point. Once the pan has cooled down, add the diced onion. Season with salt and pepper and allow to caramelize. This process may take up to 10 minutes. You want the onions to just turn a golden brown color and smell sweet. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots to pan and sauté another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, can of tomatoes, 1 tbsp of herbs de Provence, and one cup of water. Allow the ingredients to cook together for a few minutes, and taste for desired seasoning.

Add all of the contents of the pan to the crockpot/slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with potatoes, white rice, or if you’re feeling fancy a pot of risotto. I like to pair this with the Chateau St. Michelle Cab I used in the recipe.