Recipe

Crispy Stuffed Lamb Belly with Blood Orange Sauce

Community Pick!

Recipe
No Questions Yet

Crispy Stuffed Lamb Belly with Blood Orange Sauce

Photo 1 of 2
by gluttonforlife

Photo 2 of 2
by gluttonforlife

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dish with Blood Oranges, Feta and Mint

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Spring Lamb
A&M's Testing Notes: This recipe will go into the recipe file for many years of use. I had my doubts at first about the sauce but they were quickly washed away by the first taste. The honey adds lots of flavor...
This recipe will go into the recipe file for many years of use. I had my doubts at first about the sauce but they were quickly washed away by the first taste. The honey adds lots of flavor, as does the mustard, and they all blend nicely with the feta, mint and blood orange. I had to do only one thing differently: the ribs I had were very fatty so I only got a small piece of flank, probably a half pound. That was OK. I was the only one up this morning and got to eat all of it for breakfast. I am a big believer in head to tail cooking so for me the lamb belly is a great addition to the repertoire. I did garnish with extra feta, mint and zest just because it is so good. I could also see butterflying a lamb loin lengthwise for a shorter cooking time. - thirschfeld

Expand Collapse
Chef
gluttonforlife's Notes: To me, blood oranges, mint and feta cry out for a piece of lamb—and I happened to have a rolled belly in my freezer. Defrosted, unrolled, stuffed and re-tied, it was then braised in the oven...
To me, blood oranges, mint and feta cry out for a piece of lamb—and I happened to have a rolled belly in my freezer. Defrosted, unrolled, stuffed and re-tied, it was then braised in the oven in a bath of blood orange juice, beef stock and white wine, until it filled the house with its glorious perfume. As it was crisping in very high heat, I defatted the sauce, reduced it and finished it with a little mustard and a teensy knob of butter. The citrus-based sauce, zest and mint help cut through all the richness. Try this with a side of polenta and a crisp, endive salad.

Expand Collapse

Serves 4

3 tablespoons mint, finely minced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon blood orange zest, finely grated Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup sheep's milk feta, finely crumbled Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

2 pounds lamb belly, off the bone Ask a question about this ingredient

3 cloves garlic, minced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup fresh blood orange juice Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup dry white wine Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup beef stock Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons honey Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient

freshly ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Ask a question about this step
Combine the mint, orange zest and crumbled feta in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix together well to form a paste. Lay the lamb belly flat, fat side down, and smear the feta paste evenly over the entire surface, avoiding the very edges. Starting from the short edge, roll the belly up and tie every inch or so with butcher’s string.
Ask a question about this step
Combine the minced garlic, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub all over the surface of the lamb belly. Place the roast into a Le Creuset or similar Dutch oven, fattier side up, and pour the blood orange juice, white wine and beef stock in. Cover tightly with a lid, or layers of foil, and bake for 2 hours. A knife should slip easily through the meat when it’s done.
Ask a question about this step
Remove the lamb belly from the pot and place in a shallow pan. Increase the oven to 450 degrees and return the lamb to the oven until it’s brown and crispy, about 15 minutes.
Ask a question about this step
In the meantime, pour the sauce into a smaller vessel and skim the fat. Return to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly. Stir in the honey and mustard and keep at a strong simmer to reduce by about half. Whisk in the butter, and season to taste with fresh pepper.
Ask a question about this step

7 Comments on Crispy Stuffed Lamb Belly with Blood Orange Sauce

Burnt Offerings added 11 months ago

OMG - I was searching for a stuffed pepper recipe and this came up because of "stuffed" - I am SO making this next Easter or sooner! Thanks! I doubt I can readily find belly, so I may use loin, but love the flavor profile!

gluttonforlife added over 2 years ago

So glad Thirschfeld gave this recipe the thumbs-up! Hopefully it will encourage more of you to give lamb belly a try. I am usually not a huge lamb fan, but these flavors do it for me.

WinnieAb added over 2 years ago

I don't really like lamb, but I bet this is fantastic!

mrslarkin added over 2 years ago

Yum. Looks and sounds tasty! Thanks!

coffeefoodwritergirl added over 2 years ago

This looks delicious!

cheese1227 added over 2 years ago

This looks fantastic. Where to I get a lamb belly? Well, other than from the lamb. Seriously, I've never run across this cut before, but you are right, this is a natural fit.

gluttonforlife added over 2 years ago

I think a specialty butcher shop is your best bet. Before it came into vogue with all the other "secondary" cuts (pork belly, lamb neck, etc), I think this was called "lamb breast." It has the same fatty quality as pork belly and can also be cured like bacon.