Leg of Lamb Leftovers...? I hear you ask! What you do mean: "Do you have any Leg of Lamb leftovers?"
"Definitely not!Not after we've had the lunch and made the Sunday Night sandwiches for the Leftovers!"  Ok, ok, so I am a bit over ambitious here, but I want you to trust me one this one....Next time when you make a Leg of Lamb or even a Loin Roast , hide the leftovers from the family and  make this divine Lamb Ragu for Monday night's dinner. Ok? Will you try? You will not be disappointed, I promise!!



A ragu is an Italian sauce to which meat is added. The meat is cooked very slowly until it is most tender and intense in flavor.The actual word ragù is derived from the French word ragout which translates to stew. Ragu, as we know it, is always made in Bolognese style, which means it is served over a pasta of any kind.
A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto(Italian) or a miripoix(French) ( which is a half-fried mixture of finely diced carrots, celery and onions) adding tomatoes and seasonings and then cooked for a very long time to make this sauce thick, reduced and intense in flavor.
Your next question will be....."what does leftovers from leg of lamb have to do with a slow-cooked ragu?"
Well it is simple, I think! More than half of the cooking time is done while you prepare your Sunday Roast leg of Lamb. Provided that you keep the meaty stock from you leg of lamb, this meat is ideal to use for you quick and easy ragu.  Let me show you...


Ingredients

Leftover Leg of lamb meat - cut off the bone and diced
leftover stock
1 tin of whole peeled tomatoes
1 sachet of tomato puree
1 large onion - diced finely
2 carrots - diced finely
2 sticks of celery - diced finely
2 cloves of garlic- chopped
olive oil
1 bay leaf
grated fresh nutmeg
salt/pepper
1 cup red wine
2-3 pieces of streaky bacon - diced
a pinch of sugar

Heat the oil in a pot and add the bacon. Fry until partially cooked and then add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute slightly and add all other ingredients. Cook the sauce for about 30-40 minutes until all the flavors have mingled nicely. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. A pinch of sugar make a huge difference.
Serve on a bowl of hot cheesy polenta.(Simply cook the polenta according to the instructions on the packet and then add a knob of butter and about 2 handfuls of grated parmesan cheese).

If you have the time and you want to make a proper ragu and slave 3-4 hours in the kitchen, this is the recipe I use when I do have to time and energy. 

If you want to try some of my other Lamb recipes:

Cheap Lamb cuts