One-Pot Wonders

Crispy Stuffed Lamb Belly with Blood Orange Sauce

by:
March  5, 2010
4.7
3 Ratings
Crispy Stuffed Lamb Belly with Blood Orange Sauce
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

To me, blood oranges, mint and feta cry out for a piece of lamb—and I happened to have a rolled belly in my freezer. Defrosted, unrolled, stuffed and re-tied, it was then braised in the oven in a bath of blood orange juice, beef stock and white wine, until it filled the house with its glorious perfume. As it was crisping in very high heat, I defatted the sauce, reduced it and finished it with a little mustard and a teensy knob of butter. The citrus-based sauce, zest and mint help cut through all the richness. Try this with a side of polenta and a crisp, endive salad. —gluttonforlife

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe will go into the recipe file for many years of use. I had my doubts at first about the sauce but they were quickly washed away by the first taste. The honey adds lots of flavor, as does the mustard, and they all blend nicely with the feta, mint and blood orange. I had to do only one thing differently: the ribs I had were very fatty so I only got a small piece of flank, probably a half pound. That was OK. I was the only one up this morning and got to eat all of it for breakfast. I am a big believer in head to tail cooking so for me the lamb belly is a great addition to the repertoire. I did garnish with extra feta, mint and zest just because it is so good. I could also see butterflying a lamb loin lengthwise for a shorter cooking time. - thirschfeld —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons mint, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon blood orange zest, finely grated
  • 1 cup sheep's milk feta, finely crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds lamb belly, off the bone
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh blood orange juice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the mint, orange zest and crumbled feta in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix together well to form a paste. Lay the lamb belly flat, fat side down, and smear the feta paste evenly over the entire surface, avoiding the very edges. Starting from the short edge, roll the belly up and tie every inch or so with butcher’s string.
  3. Combine the minced garlic, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub all over the surface of the lamb belly. Place the roast into a Le Creuset or similar Dutch oven, fattier side up, and pour the blood orange juice, white wine and beef stock in. Cover tightly with a lid, or layers of foil, and bake for 2 hours. A knife should slip easily through the meat when it’s done.
  4. Remove the lamb belly from the pot and place in a shallow pan. Increase the oven to 450 degrees and return the lamb to the oven until it’s brown and crispy, about 15 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, pour the sauce into a smaller vessel and skim the fat. Return to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly. Stir in the honey and mustard and keep at a strong simmer to reduce by about half. Whisk in the butter, and season to taste with fresh pepper.
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11 Reviews

Vanessa H.
Vanessa H. February 16, 2020
Made this for dinner. we raise sheep and had two, a lamb and a wether, butchered a week or so ago. We were surprised by two lamb bellies, and put one to good use. The other remains in the deep freeze and we will make this again. We ate it with mashed potatoes and a simple side salad. great!
 
gluttonforlife
gluttonforlife February 17, 2020
Can't believe this recipe still lives on! So glad you liked it.
 
Vanessa H.
Vanessa H. February 17, 2020
Great food always lives on! I work hard to eat head to tail as well, and this recipe is a keeper!
 
Krol
Krol November 16, 2019
Made this yesterday but it is SO much better today! After the sauce had cooled, I was able to remove the fat. I heated up, slowly, a couple of slices of the joint, bathed in the fat removed sauce. Served with mashed potatoes, green beans and peas. Delicious! Still have enough for 2 more helpings!
 
Burnt O.
Burnt O. June 27, 2011
OMG - I was searching for a stuffed pepper recipe and this came up because of "stuffed" - I am SO making this next Easter or sooner! Thanks! I doubt I can readily find belly, so I may use loin, but love the flavor profile!
 
gluttonforlife
gluttonforlife March 18, 2010
So glad Thirschfeld gave this recipe the thumbs-up! Hopefully it will encourage more of you to give lamb belly a try. I am usually not a huge lamb fan, but these flavors do it for me.
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb March 5, 2010
I don't really like lamb, but I bet this is fantastic!
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin March 5, 2010
Yum. Looks and sounds tasty! Thanks!
 
coffeefoodwrite
coffeefoodwrite March 5, 2010
This looks delicious!
 
cheese1227
cheese1227 March 5, 2010
This looks fantastic. Where to I get a lamb belly? Well, other than from the lamb. Seriously, I've never run across this cut before, but you are right, this is a natural fit.
 
gluttonforlife
gluttonforlife March 5, 2010
I think a specialty butcher shop is your best bet. Before it came into vogue with all the other "secondary" cuts (pork belly, lamb neck, etc), I think this was called "lamb breast." It has the same fatty quality as pork belly and can also be cured like bacon.