Seco de Cordero (Lamb Stew)

Seco de cordero is the Peruvian version of a lamb stew.  Cooked with heaps of cilantro, aji, lime and beer, it's one of the quintessential Peruvian meals.  It also happens to be a great lamb dish for those who don't generally like lamb.

And that would be me. I want to love lamb and I keep buying different cuts and testing different cooking methods.  But it is all to no avail. I can only eat lamb in two ways: Grilled and crispy with some charred bits (i.e. cooked beyond recognition) or in a stew.

I found this recipe on the Yanuq website.  Their recipes can be tricky - the measurements are not clear and it's my belief that they intentionally leave out "secret" ingredients.  I made this recipe 3 times before I felt it worked well. However, it's a pretty close match to the real thing and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Peruvian cuisine.

For the full recipe, click here.

My tweaked version of this recipe has me using way more cilantro and not being quite as particular about how finely it's ground before adding it to the pot.  I also do not pre-boil the potatoes, as I think cooking them in the stew itself adds both thickness and flavor.  I use both carrots and peas and, instead of aji, I'll dice up 1/4-1/3 of a habanero.

The Yanuq recipe does not say how long the meat should be cooked.   As with any good stew the key is patience. I let it simmer, under (very) low heat, for 2 hours.

I then serve it with rice, some encebollado, and a chilled beer. The aromas this dish gives off  throughout the cooking process are amazing.  And it always reminds me of Peru.  Perhaps that's why I enjoy eating this stewed lamb - purely for the sake of nostalgia.