Sirne — Kazakh Lamb Slow-Cooked in Its Own Juices

Cut the lamb into 5–6 cm bone-in pieces and remove any blood clots or bone fragments. Rub two-thirds of the salt and the black pepper over every side of the meat.

In a heavy-bottomed kazan or Dutch oven, render the diced lamb tail fat over medium heat for 8 minutes. Once all the fat is liquid and the cubes have turned into golden, crisp cracklings, remove them with a spoon.

Raise the heat and arrange the meat in a single layer in the hot fat, working in two batches if needed. Turn it for a total of 12 minutes, until every side has a deep brown crust. Meat that releases liquid before browning will turn gray and boil instead.

Lower the heat to its lowest setting. Cover the meat with the onion cut into thick rings and close the lid tightly. Cook in its own juices for 90 minutes. At the 45-minute mark, open the lid once to check that liquid remains at the bottom. If you hear sizzling instead of bubbling, pour 100 ml hot water in along the edge of the pot.

Cut the potatoes into large pieces, toss them with the remaining salt, and arrange them over the meat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more, until a knife slides into the potatoes easily and the meat pulls cleanly from the bone.

Arrange the meat in the center of a large platter and place the potatoes around it. Scatter the cracklings over the top. Serve the rich meat juices left in the pot in small bowls on the side for dipping bread.