3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or beef short rib (cut must be well-marbled), cut in 2-inch cubes
1 large onion chopped
1 whole head garlic, separated but unpeeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground pepper
Heat the oil in a deep casserole or braising pan.
Add meat cubes and brown well on all sides-taking care not to burn drippings. Brown the meat in multiple rounds if pan doesn't accommodate all pieces in one layer with spacing between cubes.
Add all meat cubes back to pan and add onion. Saute until wilted.
Stir in garlic cloves, bay leaf, paprika, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook over a low flame for about 2 hours, or until meat is tender. You can add water if necessary, but if you have a well-marbled cut of meat, then you should have plenty of liquid for a rich sauce- even if it doesn't appear this way at the beginning.
After meat is tender, remove cap and reduce sauce if necessary
Really important to have marbled 2-inch cuts of meat. Between the meat's fat, vinegar, and water content of onion and garlic, the pot will have enough liquid to produce a beautiful rich sauce with a very slight tang from the vinegar and paprika.
The garlic (which remains in its skins) can be eaten or discarded. The skin shouldn't be eaten but the garlic takes on a nice warm, roasted flavor that goes well with the lamb.
