Resurrecting another Jenise recipe, looking for wine reco

I made this last fall and really enjoyed it. Going to make it again this Saturday while there's still farm market cabbage and tomatoes. Wine with lamb, cabbage and tomatoes? I'm thinking Pinot... ?

The recipe:

Lamb and Cabbage Casserole

2 lbs lamb, cubed
1 large onion, sliced
1 green cabbage, shredded (this presumes a dense fall cabbage, if using a lightweight spring cabbage, consider using two)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp good paprika
salt, white pepper and black pepper

Brown the lamb in a bit of olive oil, then add the onions to just soften.

In a large, deep casserole dish (I used the Romertopf) layer cabbage, meat and onions, then repeat until all the lamb's used up. Season each set of layers with garlic slices, salt, pepper and paprika. End with a layer of cabbage, then top with tomato slices. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tomatoes, then bake at 300F (yes, slow on purpose for richer flavor) for about three hours.

Thank you, Jenise for another great concoction!

What part of the lamb do you use for this? I see recipes for lamb shoulder, tried to get some last week and was told nobody buys it anymore so they are not getting it in. I've only used racks, shanks and legs.

What part of the lamb do you use for this? I see recipes for lamb shoulder, tried to get some last week and was told nobody buys it anymore so they are not getting it in. I've only used racks, shanks and legs.

I don't know what Jenise might recommend, but I went the easy way. We have an excellent old-fashioned butcher shop that specializes in local and organic darn near everything and I just ordered cubed lamb, told them how I was cooking it and left it up to them. Probably got the usual cut they choose for lamb stew meat. I should have asked.

I was looking up various cuts online today because I was thinking just like you. And I'm still not sure. I'll ask this time when I call to order tomorrow and let you know.

[Jenise]

Oh Frank, thank you for digging that up. I made it, loved it, posted it, and then forgot all about it! Sounds like a perfect low-carb fall dish, just what I'm hungry for.

Re what lamb I used, I would have used leg (also called sirloin) meat. In my area, you can't buy whole lamb shoulders anymore (they were commonplace in my childhood, but not now), they're all sliced into blade steaks. Plus, it's not as lean so not as good a choice as a few sirloin steaks cut from the leg.

Oh Frank, thank you for digging that up. I made it, loved it, posted it, and then forgot all about it! Sounds like a perfect low-carb fall dish, just what I'm hungry for.

Re what lamb I used, I would have used leg (also called sirloin) meat. In my area, you can't buy whole lamb shoulders anymore (they were commonplace in my childhood, but not now), they're all sliced into blade steaks. Plus, it's not as lean so not as good a choice as a few sirloin steaks cut from the leg.

Why do you keep calling me "Frank," Janice?

And what type of wine might you pick?

Thanks,
Fred

[Jenise]

Oh Frank, thank you for digging that up. I made it, loved it, posted it, and then forgot all about it! Sounds like a perfect low-carb fall dish, just what I'm hungry for.

Re what lamb I used, I would have used leg (also called sirloin) meat. In my area, you can't buy whole lamb shoulders anymore (they were commonplace in my childhood, but not now), they're all sliced into blade steaks. Plus, it's not as lean so not as good a choice as a few sirloin steaks cut from the leg.

Why do you keep calling me "Frank," Janice?

And what type of wine might you pick?

Thanks,
Fred

OOPS. Sorry, Fred.

This dish would pair well with a lot of wines, but I'd reach first for a Southern Rhone blend or grenache.

I sort of like the idea of a reserve Rioja with the dish.

Jenise, Jon: Thanks for the wine tips. I think I'll go with the Rhone, love that style of wine, and grenache, tempranillo, etc.

Karen: My butcher said their cubed lamb IS cut from the leg, just as Jenise recommended.

Looking forward to Saturday's dinner!

I have a head of cabbage in the fridge and have been wondering what I'm going to do with it. I am going to make this tonight or tomorrow night.
Thanks for posting Fred!

This sounds great, but a question. Is the cabage shredded like cole slaw shredded or shredded like sliced through top to bottom?

[Jenise]

This sounds great, but a question. Is the cabage shredded like cole slaw shredded or shredded like sliced through top to bottom?

Cole slaw 'shred' would be more grated than what I'd call shredded. To shred, I quarter the head and then slice each quarter cross-grain into 1/8-1/4 inch ribbons.

This recipe would work well with bear or venison. For wine, I would go with a Tempranillo.

[Jenise]

This recipe would work well with bear or venison. For wine, I would go with a Tempranillo.

Sure would, and tempranillo would definitely be a good choice.

Just put mine in the oven.

Got a helluva surprise when I picked up my lamb.

$14/pound! At least it's local and organic. But still... it's stew meat.

Just put mine in the oven.

Got a helluva surprise when I picked up my lamb.

$14/pound! At least it's local and organic. But still... it's stew meat.

I made this last night too. (My stew meat was $8.99 a pound...a little less than yours(!), and I did confirm that it is in fact leg meat.)
It was a delicious combination, the lamb was extremely tender cooked that long and the cabbage silky. It released a lot of juice and that was delicious also, so I actually found myself wishing I had some rice or other starchy vehicle. I think next time I will actually add the rice to the casserole and let it all cook together.

It released a lot of juice and that was delicious also, so I actually found myself wishing I had some rice or other starchy vehicle. I think next time I will actually add the rice to the casserole and let it all cook together.

I cooked mine in the crock from a crock pot. Cooked it in the oven with lid on for half the time. Then I tilted the crock and ladled off a lot of the juice and cooked for the remaining time with lid off. Awesome! Just enough liquid left to guarantee a moist result.

And the rhone was perfect with it.

[Jenise]

Just put mine in the oven.

Got a helluva surprise when I picked up my lamb.

$14/pound! At least it's local and organic. But still... it's stew meat.

I made this last night too. (My stew meat was $8.99 a pound...a little less than yours(!), and I did confirm that it is in fact leg meat.)
It was a delicious combination, the lamb was extremely tender cooked that long and the cabbage silky. It released a lot of juice and that was delicious also, so I actually found myself wishing I had some rice or other starchy vehicle. I think next time I will actually add the rice to the casserole and let it all cook together.

Depending on your cabbage and tomatoes, of course results will vary. But I'd much rather see you spoon off some liquid a la Fred and reduce it separately in a small pot and put it back, or cook it longer so that more evaporation occurs, to concentrate the flavors. Adding rice would be diluting--better to cook the rice separately and serve this over it, if you want all that on the plate.

Jenise you are probably right. My thinking was that it reminded us slightly of Len's favorite dish, Gwumpkies. I know I posted about them long ago. It's a Polish cabbage, rice and ground pork dish, that his mom always made. You bake it (covered) for a very long time so all the ingredients sort of meld together. So I was thinking this would have the same effect, but then it wouldn't be the same recipe you posted.
Hey, that makes me wonder...was I not supposed to cover this dish while it baked?

Making it for tonight with bear. Browned the bear in fresh bacon grease, used Chinese cabbage I had on hand and deglazed with white wine. It's in the oven. One thing I liked is that "store" bought tomatoes should work fine. The wine, I think a 2001 Numanthia Toro.

[Jenise]

Jenise you are probably right. My thinking was that it reminded us slightly of Len's favorite dish, Gwumpkies. I know I posted about them long ago. It's a Polish cabbage, rice and ground pork dish, that his mom always made. You bake it (covered) for a very long time so all the ingredients sort of meld together. So I was thinking this would have the same effect, but then it wouldn't be the same recipe you posted.
Hey, that makes me wonder...was I not supposed to cover this dish while it baked?

Been so long since I made it I don't know exactly what I did then, but to get the results I remember and that I think I'd want, I might cover it for the first hour to hour and a half to sweat down the vegetables and then leave it uncovered to concentrate and reduce.

What a name: Gwumpkies. Sounds like the Teletubbies' evil cousins.

What a name: Gwumpkies. Sounds like the Teletubbies' evil cousins.

I know, you are right! I guess it's an often mispelled dish. I just googled it and up came: Gowumpkis, golomkis, golumpkis, galobkis, and gowoomkis. My Mother-in-law never knew how to spell it. It's a very traditional Polish cabbage roll. The ones we make only have white rice, salt pork, ground pork, salt and pepper and of course the cabbage. They are unexpectedly delicious.