Lamb Rendang

Lamb Rendang over rice

Frying spice paste

On the Saturday morning before Easter when I decided at the last minute that I wanted to make Abbacchio, Roman lamb, for my dinner the next day, I had no idea that I was getting into a situation that would leave me with more meat than I had counted on.  I called a local butcher shop and was told there was one lamb shoulder roast left.  Excited, I asked the man                                                                      to put my name on it and save it.  I pictured a medium-sized roast like the one I had gotten in Rome during my stay there. When I got there I was surprised at the size of this monster. It wasn't a shoulder of lamb, it was a shoulder of elephant!
The next day I cut the lamb into pieces and started wondering what I would do with the rest. (I had two 1-gallon bags full of cut up lamb.)  My answer came soon after as I was looking through my favorite Malaysian cooking site, Rasamalaysia where I found a recipe for slowcooker Lamb Rendang.  Really?  Slowcooker?  Who knew?  OK, I am chronically western and ignorant with visions of an ancient culture that has remained the same for centuries in spite of the fact that I talk to my Malaysian friends on Facebook and Skype and warn at least one not to become too addicted to the McDonalds' and KFC's in Kuala Lumpur.
But yes, this uses a slowcooker and the results are amazing.  This is some of the tenderest and most succulent lamb I have ever eaten.  And it was not that spicy, either.  I hope you'll give this a shot.
Lamd Rendang