Smoked Lamb Stew with Sauerkraut (Butcher's Stew)

5 from 1 vote

A rich, hearty stew made with smoked lamb shanks, sausages, roasted peppers and sauerkraut.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Goat Sausage, Lamb Shanks

Servings:

Calories: 318kcal

1 large red bell pepper
8 oz lamb sausage roughly 2 large sausages
1 lb lamb shanks
4 oz lamb bacon optional-you can omit it and substitute 2 tablespoons of cooking oil or lamb tallow for cooking the onion
1 tablespoon cooking oil or lamb fat
6 oz (1 large) yellow sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
32 oz (1 large can) whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
5 cups lamb stock or water in a pinch
6 oz sauerkraut preferably homemade
Kosher salt to taste
Wild rice white rice, noodles, or your favorite starch, for serving

Roast the pepper over a burner until charred all over, then transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool. Rinse the pepper, discarding the skin and seeds, dice the flesh into 1 inch cubes and reserve.

Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, then smoke at 250 F for 2 hours. Remove the shanks from the smoker, cut the meat from the bones and dice into chunks for soup. Reserve the meat and the bones.
Cut the sausage into ½ inch coins (this is easier to do with pre-cooked or leftover sausage)

Cook the bacon in the oil in a large soup pot with a roughly 1 gallon capacity until the fat has started to release and it's becoming crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent, then add the shank meat and sausage, along with the roasted pepper and remaining ingredients.
Cover the pot and cook for 1.5 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.

Double check the seasoning for salt and pepper, adjust until it tastes good to you, then serve in bowls with wild rice or your favorite starch such as mashed potatoes, white rice, or noodles. Garnish with the sour cream with parley or dill and serve.

I use a mixture of different meats here, but you can feel free to mix and match some of your favorites. I always include sausages.