Lamb Neck Cassrole Recipe

Trim and Marinate

Trim excess fat from the lamb neck pieces if desired. Place the lamb in a large bowl and add light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, salt, and ground white pepper. Toss to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 20–30 minutes at room temperature (or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator).

Prepare aromatics: smash the ginger and cut into slices, crush garlic, slice scallions into 4 cm lengths, and measure the dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and cassia stick so they are ready to use.

If you prefer a milder heat, halve or remove seeds from the dried chilies. Lightly roast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then crush slightly.

Heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil (or lard). When the oil is hot, add the marinated lamb pieces in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, about 5–7 minutes per batch. Remove browned lamb and set aside.

Lower heat to medium. In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed and add the smashed ginger, crushed garlic, scallion white sections, dried chilies, roasted Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and cassia stick. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until aromatic, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add doubanjiang and tomato paste, stir-fry 1–2 minutes until the oil turns a deeper red and the paste is fragrant. Add dark soy sauce and rock sugar; stir to combine and slightly caramelize for 30–60 seconds.

Return the browned lamb to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce base. Pour in the hot stock and hot water to just cover the lamb by about 1–2 cm. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 1.25–1.5 hours, or until the lamb neck is tender and nearly falling off the bone. Check once at 40–50 minutes and skim any foam or excess fat from the surface.

Add the potato, carrot, and onion chunks to the pot after the lamb has cooked for about 1 hour (so vegetables finish cooking with the meat). Gently submerge them in the braising liquid, re-cover, and continue to simmer for an additional 25–30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and lamb is fully tender.

Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning with additional salt (about 1 tsp or to taste) and a drizzle of sesame oil for aroma. If the sauce is too thin, remove lid, increase heat to medium-high and reduce for 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of hot water or stock.

Transfer the lamb neck casserole to a serving dish or serve directly from the pot. Sprinkle sliced scallion greens and chopped cilantro over the top. Serve hot with steamed rice or flatbread to soak up the rich sauce.

Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be gently reheated on the stovetop. The flavors deepen after a day.