Pulled Lamb Sandwich With Caramelized Onions and Chipotle Garlic Aioli

He promised he will be home from work by 8 and it was almost midnight. No phone calls, no messages and no news of him being well. He never does that, then why today? Something must have gone terribly wrong. An accident or maybe that back of his? Worst things come to mind at times like this.

Then trying not to concentrate on her pacing heartbeat she picked up her favorite book. While turning to the page she had last left, she heard something. Maybe the sound of footsteps approaching, which were being faded by that pouring rain outside of her apartment. A ring of the doorbell and she shook with excitement. This might be the best sound she had ever heard. She ran to the door, opened it and there he was. Drenched in rain but a smile on face.

Before she could complain his hand holding flowers appeared from behind. “Why do you have to like red tulips?” he complained ” I thought I’d pick some for you but then they always run out of them?” She couldn’t hold the tears back anymore so let it all out but accompanied with a big laugh. “What’s for dinner?” he asked. “Sandwiches”, she said. “Alright, then lets have a picnic in our living room tonight!”. He entered the house and just like that everything just brightened up.

Thanks to American Lamb for sending some really good all-natural lamb for me to try for this recipe! I will be sending this recipe to the Lamb Lover’s Photo Contest.

Ingredients: Makes 4-5 Sandwiches

For Slow Cooker Pulled Lamb:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb
3/4 chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (smashed)
1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Caramelized Onion: (Slow Cooker version in “The Book”)
4 cups thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

For the Chipotle Garlic Aioli: Makes 1 cup
I followed this recipe for garlic aioli on David Lebovitz’s blog, tweaked just a little. Just omit the garlic from this recipe and add chipotle garlic paste instead.

2 tablespoons Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup (250ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pure olive oil
You’d be surprised to notice that I use two kinds of olive oils. I once read a chef mixing half of pure live oil to the quantity of extra virgin olive oil to cut on the strong taste of oil in the aioli. I tried and it works for me. If you’d rather use 1 cup extra virgin then go ahead. You will not be breaking any rules.

Remaining ingredients I used for the sandwich. You can always play around here!
Baguette bread (you can use your choice of hard crusted bread)
Some greens (arugula or baby spinach go well with this)
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avacado

Method:
Preparing Lamb:-
In a mason jar add all the ingredients except for the lamb and chicken stock. Close the lid and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. (This is how I make my vinaigrette)
Pour the vinaigrette to a ziplock bag. Add the lamb. Seal the bag and squish it so that all the vinaigrette is coated well around the lamb. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Take the lamb out of the Ziplock back. Heat a cast iron skillet. Transfer the lamb to the skillet and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.
Pour chicken stock to the slow cooker. Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker discarding all excess fat.
Cover and cook on low for low for 6-7 hours.

For Caramelized Onion:
Use a wide thick bottom saute pan (I use a cast iron skillet). Heat oil/butter
Add sliced onion. Stir well to coat the onion with oil/butter. Turn the heat to medium and let it cook on its own, stirring occasionally.
As the onion turns brown and looses its water it will stick to the bottom. Let it stick a little but keep an eye so that you do not burn them and keep stirring occasionally.
Towards the end the onions might all come together and begin to stick more to the bottom. Try adding a couple tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan. Turn the heat off and let it sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before you move it to dish.

For the Aioli:
I followed the recipe as on David’s blog. Its explained well there and always works for me. Just substitute garlic with Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Paste.

Putting the sandwich together:
Take the leg of lamb out of the slow cooker. Using two forks shred the meat. I always reduce the remaining liquid in the slow cooker and pour it over my meat. So I did the same here.
On a bed of greens over sliced baguette put some pulled leg of lamb, add caramelized onion, tomato and avacado. Smother some aioli on the other half of the baguette. Place it on top and enjoy with a glass of cold beer and your honey!