Sautéed Lamb’s Head and Trotters | Boiled Meat with Onions

Scrape away remaining hair roots from the head and trotters with the back of a knife; briefly passing them over a burner flame can singe stubborn hairs. Wash the inside of the ears, nasal cavities, and between the toes with plenty of water. Rub all sides with a handful of coarse salt, then rinse under cold running water.

Put the pieces in a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the dark gray foam. Boil for 8 more minutes, then discard all the water and rinse the pieces with hot water. This first water removes blood and strong odors.

Put the pieces in a pot with fresh water. Add the halved onion, bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and salt. Simmer with the lid slightly ajar, keeping the heat low enough for occasional bubbles. The meat is ready when it separates from the bone at the touch of a fork. Top up with hot water if needed, and save the cooking liquid.

Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, scrape the meat from the bones. Separate bite-size pieces from the cheeks, tongue, and joints of the trotters; check carefully for small bone fragments. Drizzle a ladleful of the cooking liquid over the meat to keep it moist.

Melt the butter in a wide skillet and sauté the thinly sliced onion and pepper until their edges begin to color. Add the meat and toss over high heat until the edges brown. Add the thyme, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, stir 1 time, and remove from the heat. The sheen in the pan comes from gelatin; no extra fat is needed.