3 lb (1.36 kg) lamb from the forequarter, cut into serving pieces
1 Boiling water, enough to cover
1 Salt, to taste
1 Black pepper, to taste
1 All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 Butter or mutton fat, for sauteing
1 cups (355 ml) Brown Sauce made from the braising liquor, fat removed
Instructions
1. Wipe the lamb pieces with a damp cloth to clean them. Place in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, cover completely with boiling water, and bring back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Cook slowly (a bare simmer, not a rolling boil) for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until the meat is fully tender — a fork should meet no resistance and the meat should begin to pull away from the bone.
3. Remove the lamb from the braising liquor. Reserve the liquor. Allow the meat to cool completely, ideally refrigerating overnight so that the fat rises and solidifies on the surface of the liquor, making removal straightforward.
4. Skim and discard all solidified fat from the surface of the reserved braising liquor. Set the defatted liquor aside for the Brown Sauce.
5. Season the cooled lamb pieces on all sides with salt and black pepper, then dredge lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.
6. Saute the floured lamb pieces in butter or mutton fat in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until each surface is deep golden-brown and a crust has formed.
7. Prepare 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) Brown Sauce using the defatted braising liquor as the base, following your standard Brown Sauce method (a roux-thickened, seasoned reduction of the liquor).
8. Arrange the sauteed lamb on a platter and pour the Brown Sauce around — not over — the pieces, so the crust remains crisp. Serve immediately.
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