Georgian Chakapuli

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lb lamb shoulder or neck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, preferably with some fat
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 8 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 4 packed cups fresh tarragon leaves and tender tips
• 2 packed cups fresh sorrel, roughly chopped
• 2 packed cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 1 to 2 fresh green chiles, slit or sliced to taste
• 1 1/2 cups dry Georgian white wine or another dry unoaked white wine
• 1 cup green tkemali plum sauce
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. 1.Pat the lamb dry. If it has a few very fatty trimmings, finely chop about 2 tablespoons of them and place them in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook 4 to 6 minutes until some fat renders; remove any hard browned solids. If your lamb is lean, begin with 1 tablespoon neutral oil instead.
2. 2.Spread half the sliced onion and green onions over the bottom, add the lamb, then cover with about two-thirds of the tarragon, sorrel, cilantro, parsley and mint. Add the green chile and pour the wine around the meat.
3. 3.Bring the pot just to a simmer over medium heat, then immediately reduce to low, cover and cook 25 minutes. Checkpoint: the herbs should collapse dramatically, the pot should smell strongly of tarragon and wine, and the liquid should show only lazy bubbles rather than a hard boil.
4. 4.Add the green tkemali and gently turn the meat and herbs together. Cover partially and continue cooking 35 to 50 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the lamb pieces stay intact.
5. 5.Checkpoint: the lamb is ready when a fork slides into a piece with little resistance and the connective tissue feels tender rather than rubbery. The sauce should taste distinctly tart and herbaceous, with the alcohol's harsh edge cooked away.
6. 6.Add the remaining onion, green onion and reserved fresh herbs during the final 5 minutes so the stew regains a fresh green aroma and layered texture. Season with salt and black pepper.
7. 7.If the pot is very watery after the lamb is tender, uncover and simmer gently 5 to 10 minutes. Do not reduce until thick or brown; chakapuli should retain a loose green-tinted broth around the meat and herbs.
8. 8.Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then taste again for salt and tkemali acidity. Serve hot with Georgian bread or another sturdy bread for the broth.