Adobo-Braised Lamb

This lamb will make your apartment/house smell amazing. Definitely go through the effort to find the chiles. Toasting them gives them an amazing aroma and brings out all of the flavors. The adobo sauce has a  mix of ingredients that make a rich, beautiful red sauce. I loved the flavors of the peppers. When it has been in the oven a few hours, it falls off the bone incredibly easily and shreds into a beautiful taco or enchilada filler. We did tacos and had chopped white onion, cilantro, avocado, radish, jalapenos, and salsas so everyone could make his own. A very luxurious taco.

Pot Roast with Polenta

Merry belated Christmas! Sorry for the break in posts. On December 23, Jamie and I decided we'd exchange our presents and have a special dinner. (He's quite the wrapping enthusiast as you can see above - aren't I lucky?) 

He is not wont to making dinner requests, but I implored him. His request was pot roast. I've never made pot roast before, but it follows the same formula as short ribs, lamb shanks, etc. (Anything you cook for 2+ hours with wine and lots of veggies is always melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so I obliged.) I followed Ina Garten's recipe, but added a little Balsamic vinegar - a trick I learned to give amazing flavor and a touch of sweetness from another slow braise recipe.