A classic Alpine-style lamb recipe focuses on tenderizing, slow-cooking, and aromatic herbs like rosemary and thyme, often paired with root vegetables or red wine. A popular, authentic method is a slow-roasted leg of lamb or a braised stew, featuring garlic, rosemary, and white wine.  Alpine lamb refers to sheep raised in high-altitude mountain pastures, a method that produces lean, tender meat with a distinct, mild flavor. Unlike grain-fed varieties, these lambs typically forage on diverse wildflowers and grasses in alpine meadows, which contributes to a unique clean taste that is less gamey than traditional lamb.

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

3 lamb shanks (approx. 250 g each)
75 g stoneless prunes
40 g walnuts
3 tbsp Appenzeller Alpenbitter Oil for frying
½ tbsp mustard
½ tbsp groundnut oil
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp Salt
A little freshly ground pepper
2 dl meat stock
1 tbsp Appenzeller Alpenbitter Salt and pepper to taste

STEPS

1) Remove meat from fridge approx. 30 min. before browning. Preheat oven to 80 degrees, warm tray and plates. Roughly chop prunes and walnuts, combine with Appenzeller Alpenbitter and marinate for approx. 30 min. Cut a side pocket in each lamb shank, fill with the prune mixture and seal with a toothpick.

2) Heat oil in a frying pan, reduce heat, brown meat on all sides on a medium heat for approx. 12 min., remove. Combine mustard with oil and Worcestershire sauce, cover meat with this mixture, season.

3) Place meat on warm tray. Low-temperature roasting: approx. 1¼ hrs in the middle of an oven preheated to 80 degrees (core temperature, meat: approx. 55 degrees. Keep warm: approx. 30 min. at 60 degrees). Pour meat stock into pan and combine with cooking juices, boil down liquid to approx. half. Add Appenzeller Alpenbitter, season. Slice alpine lamb and arrange together with sauce.

4) Serve with polenta.