instant pot braised greek lamb
In 2019, the day after detonating my personal life in a very sudden scorched-earth meltdown, I left for a wedding in Italy and subsequently ended up alone for ten days in the Greek Isles. My first stop was a microscopic Cycladic-style villa in the small, non-touristy neighborhood of Pyrgos Kallistis, Santorini, where I spent most of the trip languishing in the outdoor bath overlooking the caldera and drinking duty-free scotch out of a wine glass. Unlike the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Santorini full of picturesque cliffs and hot young guys named Kostas, Pyrgos is central and high up on the island, the town itself connected by a labyrinthine network of steep clay staircases. Once a day I’d wander down, build some calf strength, admire donkeys, and look for a place to have fresh whole grilled fish and a half liter of wine to myself at lunch. A wrong turn put me in front of a restaurant called Cava Alta, which was closed during the day. I came back that night for dinner.
Cava Alta’s name speaks for itself. It’s in a cave. And down in the cave, Plato style, was The Reckoning: I was good at being single, but had always sucked at being alone. Without someone to mirror, the kinetic energy of someone else to power me, I get awkward. I lose my frame of reference. I forget where to put my hands.
My server I think sensed it when I asked for wine, and he sat down next to me. He said it would be unkind to let me drink by myself. He poured us shots of Metaxa, which is Greek brandy that’s nothing like Ouzo, and we took them together. He asked why I was there, implying the “alone” part, and I lied and said I was writing a book. He said he hoped I found good things to write about and to try the braised lamb shanks, which I did. But I didn’t like that he knew to feel sorry for me.
When people are alone, they also get more vigilant. Our instincts have wired us for non-solo life, becoming hyperfocused on our surroundings to evade threats when we know we have no cover or protection from others. This is why people who sleep alone are said to sleep lighter, which I would for nearly a year. Vigilance also makes for decent entertainment for a person on their own. I watched an American couple dripping in honeymoon glow ask the staff to take their picture before returning to their phones, and wondered about the integrity of their relationship when not on vacation. I watched another, much older, speaking Greek, who actually paid attention to each other, engaged and with the intensity of new love, even though they’d likely been doing this same routine for years. I knew which future I wanted for myself. I was here because, five days earlier, I’d suddenly decided it was possible to find after all.
(Where it wouldn’t be possible was in Greece, where the next day a different server asked me after lunch if I wanted to go to the beach with him. I said no because I didn’t want to get murdered.)
The lamb eventually arrived, and that lamb was the best f’ing lamb I’d ever eaten. It was Greek in the very best way: herbal, bright, garlicky, well-seasoned, and not at all game-y, slow-cooked by someone who clearly knew what they were doing to a meltingly tender shred with a crispy outside and served over creamy white beans. I would later learn that it’s a TON of lemon juice that gives this dish its essential Greek-ness, cutting through all the lamby barnyard funk that makes people say they’re Not A Lamb Person. I am not normally A Lamb Person either, but Greece is a philosophical place. It all represented, to me, moving forward with a more open mind.
I came back drained emotionally, financially, psychologically. But eventually I was ready to try again.
In recreating the lamb a few months later, I also reconnected with my original cooking style: intuitive, loose, and designed for me alone. And so I tailored it exactly the way I like it, using boneless leg instead of fattier shanks or shoulder, tons of lemon juice and fresh herbs, and cooking it 5ever, using an Instant Pot reverse sear technique where you dump everything in and cook before ultimately layering the meat on a sheet pan and hitting it with the broiler to crisp up the edges carnitas-style.
I’ve made it now many times, for special friends who are Lamb People and loved it (it makes a great birthday meal at home), and for people who are Not Lamb People and discovered that this may be the gateway drug to becoming a Lamb Person one day. It works both ways. This boi is a very special original for me, and I hope you come to love him the way I do.
RECIPE
Finally: lamb even non-lamb-people can love. Inspired by the tender braised lamb dishes of Greece, this Instant Pot Greek lamb braises under pressure in white wine, garlic, and herbs to become fall-apart tender in under two hours. Lots of lemon is the secret to neutralizing the gamey taste that lamb can sometimes have.
Effortful time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 2 hours
Serves: 6-8
YOU NEED
3 lbs. boneless lamb leg
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 tsp. dried oregano
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 lemon’s worth of juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (or use another 1/2 cup chicken broth)
Black pepper
MAKE IT
Pressure cook the lamb. Throw everything into the Instant Pot. Set to high pressure, 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Take a break. That’s it for awhile. You do you in the meantime.
Release the pressure. When the Instant Pot is done, heat the broiler. Wait 10 minutes to naturally de-pressurize, then release the rest manually.
Broil the lamb. Using tongs, spread the lamb onto a baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until the edges are crispy, carnitas style.
*Optional: blend the braising liquid. The braising liquid makes an incredible sauce, but it needs to be blended first to be good. Once you’ve removed the lamb, fish out the rosemary and thyme sprigs and the bay leaves, then use an immersion blender to turn the rest of it into gravy. You can then ladle this over the lamb after broiling. You can still use the broth without blending, but I really think it’s best with this extra step, and I am a Lamb Professional.
Serve it up. Spoon over whipped cauliflower, potatoes, white beans, orzo, or any other starch of choice.
