Low Carb Braised Lamb with Butter Courgettes is a meal that’s full of flavour and extremely easy to make.
Braising meat is something I absolutely adore. It takes literally minutes of involvement and then you can leave the meat to simmer away for a long time while you prepare something else or just take a break.
There is absolutely nothing difficult about this dish and the result is succulent, tender meat that will melt in your mouth. No fancy equipment required, either. Any pot will do, although I wholeheartedly recommend a heavy bottom pan rather than a flimsy aluminium one. If you only have aluminium pans, you will need to keep an eye on the meat and stir it regularly to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pan and possibly burn.
Lamb is quite a fatty meat and therefore perfect for the ketogenic lifestyle. Paired with butter courgettes for more low carb goodness, this is a main course that is simply unbeatable in flavour and satisfaction.
My braised version is bursting with flavour, thanks to a mix of spices and some red wine. It is the wine that gives this cooked lamb a rich, dark red colour, as well as amazing taste.
Red wine: the secret weapon that turns dark meat into a sensational feast for the senses.
It only takes a splash — well under half a glass — to turn this dish a deep, rich red and add real depth of flavour. Any red wine works, so there’s no need to fuss over a fancy bottle. I keep a cheap boxed table wine on hand just for cooking, since I’m not really a wine drinker myself and hate the idea of opening an expensive bottle only to use a splash of it. And if you’re not a fan of red wine, don’t worry: once it’s cooked down, you won’t taste it at all — it’s simply there to work its magic on colour and richness.
So what is ‘braising‘?
The term ‘braised’ may conjure up images of complicated Masterchef-style techniques but is, in actual fact, quite the opposite. Braising is simplicity itself: you sear the meat by cooking on high heat until it’s brown all over, then you add liquid and whatever flavourings you choose, you cover the pot and let it all simmer on very low heat for a looooooong time. It’s an old cooking method that is extremely common both in France (where the word braising originates) and in many other countries. Pretty much any kind of meat, even the toughest, chewiest one can become tender and moist by braising, so it’s perfect for any budget.
Braising has become one of my favourite ways to cook meat, mostly because it leaves me free to get on with other things. Between my baking experiments and getting a dinner party sorted, the last thing I want is to be tied to the stove stirring a pot. Once the lamb is simmering away, I can get on with baking a dessert, prepping starters, or just taking a breather — no juggling several pans on the hob at once.
Easy-peasy butter courgettes.
The intense flavour of the lamb needed something mild and sweetish as an accompaniment (according to my palate, anyway). Courgettes fit the bill perfectly. We all love, or have learned to love, courgettes (or zucchini if you prefer to call them by their other name) after embracing the keto lifestyle. Versatile and delicious both in savoury and sweet recipes, courgettes also happen to be very low carb.
In this side dish, butter, olive oil and coconut oil, together with a sprinkle of organic broth granules, enhance their sapidity and deliver a feast to the senses. I cut my courgettes lengthways and then across, obtaining little-finger-size pieces (about 6cm x 1.5cm). You can cut them any shape or size you want, but don’t go too small or they will break up whilst cooking and turn to mash. Make sure they are more or less equal in size, too, to avoid uneven cooking. Yet another dish that is simple, quick and delicious.
So here is the result: my low carb braised lamb with butter courgettes, plated up and ready to be savoured.
A quick note on food safety: the USDA’s minimum safe internal temperature for lamb is 145°F (63°C). A slow simmer of the better part of two hours takes this dish well past that mark long before the meat turns fall-apart tender, so by the time it looks and smells ready, it’s been safely cooked through many times over.
No red wine in the house? Swap it for the same amount of beef or bone broth with a small splash of red wine vinegar stirred in — you’ll still get that rounded, savoury depth without a trip to the shops. And if you’re a fan of a good long braise, my Braised Lamb Shanks are worth bookmarking for next time.
Hopefully I will have inspired you to try braising if it’s something you’ve never attempted before.
Enjoy!
LOW CARB BRAISED LAMB WITH BUTTER COURGETTES
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 500 g lamb chunks
- 30 g extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g butter
- 30 g organic raw extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 TBSP shallot finely chopped
- 100 ml red wine
- ¼ tsp fine himalayan pink salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- sprinkle organic broth granules
- ½ tsp Chinese Five Spice
- ground black pepper to taste
- 200 ml water approximately
For the Courgettes
- 2 medium courgette 400g total
- 1 clove garlic peeled and cut into lengthway quarters
- 20 g extra virgin olive oil
- 20 g butter
- 15 g organic raw extra virgin coconut oil
- sprinkle organic broth granules
- ground black pepper to taste
- pinch fine himalayan pink salt
(Ingredients in green link to the products I use. More on keto ingredients.)
Instructions
Lamb
- put olive oil, butter and coconut oil into a medium size, heavy-base saucepan.
- add chopped garlic and shallot and cook for 1 minute on medium heat until softened.
- add the lamb, raise the heat to high and cook until brown on all sides.
- pour the wine over the meat and cook until evaporated.
- add all other ingredients and enough water to just about reach the level of the meat.
- stir, cover with a lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for 1 hr 45 mins, stirring once 1/2 way through cooking (you will need to stir more often if using an aluminium-bottomed pan to avoid it sticking).
Courgettes
- cut the courgettes lengthways into strips and then across, to obtain little-finger-sized chunks (about 6cm x 1.5cm).
- put the courgettes into a wok or similar and add the rest of the ingredients.
- cook on medium-high heat until the courgettes are soft, any liquid has evaporated and they are starting to brown.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Whilst there is no extra cost for you, affiliation helps me buffer the expenses associated with running this site.
