Pastramă de oaie la tavă (Romanian Mutton Pastrami Baked in a Pan)
A hearty and flavorful dish of cured and spiced mutton, baked until tender and served with a rich sauce. This is a regional specialty, often found in mountainous areas.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Mutton (leg or shoulder)(cut into large pieces)
- 2 large Onions(sliced)
- 4 Garlic cloves(minced)
- 200 ml White wine
- 300 ml Beef or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Paprika (sweet)
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil or lard
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley(chopped, for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F).
💡 Tip: A low and slow cooking method is key for tender mutton. - 2
Heat oil or lard in a large oven-safe pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the mutton pieces on all sides until browned.
- 3
Remove mutton from the pan and set aside. Add sliced onions to the same pan and sauté until softened and lightly browned.
- 4
Add minced garlic, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper to the onions. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 5
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 6
Return the mutton to the pan. Add the broth and the bay leaf. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
💡 Tip: Add more broth or water if needed. - 7
Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the mutton is very tender.
- 8
Remove the bay leaf. If the sauce is too thin, you can remove the meat and simmer the sauce on the stovetop to reduce it slightly.
💡 Tip: Alternatively, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. - 9
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving. This dish is traditionally served with mămăligă (polenta) or mashed potatoes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Mutton can be tough, so low and slow cooking is essential.
- ✓Ensure the meat is well-seasoned before baking.
- ✓Adjust the amount of paprika and garlic to your taste.
🔄 Variations
- Add diced root vegetables like potatoes or carrots to the pan during the last hour of baking.
- Use lamb instead of mutton for a milder flavor.
- A splash of red wine can be used instead of white wine.