In the New World, the primary meat is beef. The seemingly limitless grazing lands made it a logical choice. In the Old World, animal husbandry took a different course. The ability of smaller animals, like sheep and goats, to thrive on marginally productive lands, too poor to feed larger animals, made the smaller animals the logical choice. In addition, they could provide wool for clothing as well as leather, and milk to feed the children. In the lands surrounding the Mediterranean and in the Middle East lamb is the predominate meat.

Take the basic recipe for a Colonial America beef stew, change for lamb and add garbanzo beans and dried fruit and adjust the spices; it gives this stew an Armenian makeover and makes for a delicious lamb stew in the Armenian-Style

• 1 pound lamb cut into cubes (may mix beef and lamb, half and half)
• 16 baby carrots, cut in thirds
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 yellow onion, coarse dice
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 rib celery, slice on the diagonal
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup chopped pitted dried plums
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef stock or beef broth
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Salt and pepper, taste

1. Prepare Crock-Pot® with a spray of vegetable oil spray and set aside.
2. Cut lamb into bite-sized pieces. Dredge in flour.

   

3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Sauté the lamb until browned on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of the beef broth and deglaze the frying pan. Capture the brown bits and transfer the liquid and bits to the cooking pot.
4. Layer the ingredients; onions, carrots and celery, the browned lamb, and cover with the remaining ingredients, then add the remaining liquids. Cover and cook on low setting for four hours. Taste and add salt and pepper, as desired to taste. Cover and cook for an additional two or three hours, or until the meat is tender and the vegetables cooked through.

   

5. Serve with crusty French, pita or nan bread and a hearty red wine.