Estofado de cordero y cebada con repollo especiado y remolacha

Ingredients

• 450 gBritish lamb or mutton neck fillet, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 8British lamb cutlets, trimmed
• 1 tablespoonrapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoonsplain flour
• 2 largeonions, thinly sliced
• 30 gbutter
• 100 gpearl barley
• 900 mllamb stock
• 2 tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigsfresh thyme
• 500 gKing Edward or Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 mm slices
• 20 gbutter, melted, for brushing
• 60 gfine breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoonsfresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoonsvegetable oil
• 250 mlred wine vinegar
• 250 mlcider vinegar
• 250 gsugar
• 1star anise
• 1 tablespoonmustard seeds
• 5whole cloves
• 400 gred cabbage, finely shredded
• 3 mediumbeetroot, boiled, peeled and cubed
• al gustosea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the lamb

   Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then dust it with some of the flour. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan and brown the lamb in batches, keeping the neck fillet pieces separate from the cutlets. Take the meat out of the pan.

2. 2

   Cook the barley

   Melt the butter in the pan and cook the onions until translucent. Stir in the pearl barley so the grains are coated in butter. Season, add a little flour and stir well.

3. 3

   Add the stock

   Pour in the lamb stock and Worcestershire sauce, then add the thyme. Bring to the boil and remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. 4

   Fill the dishes

   Mix the onion and barley mixture with the neck fillet pieces and divide it between 4 individual hotpot dishes. Stand 2 cutlets upright in the centre of each dish, with their bones pointing up.

5. 5

   Layer the potatoes

   Arrange the potato slices in overlapping layers over the meat, leaving the bones protruding. Brush with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 140°C for 1 hour 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Mix the topping

   Combine the breadcrumbs, mint and vegetable oil. Remove the foil from the hotpots and increase the oven temperature to 200°C.

7. 7

   Finish the hotpots

   Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the potatoes. Bake for a further 20–30 minutes, until the potatoes and breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp.

8. 8

   Make the reduction

   Put both vinegars in a pan with the sugar, star anise, mustard seeds and cloves. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by half, then strain it through a fine sieve.

9. 9

   Cook the cabbage

   Melt butter in a large pan and add the cabbage. Cook gently over a low heat until soft, then stir in the beetroot and vinegar reduction. Warm through and serve alongside the hotpots.

What is a lamb and barley hotpot?

A hotpot is a British-style baked dish of meat covered with sliced potatoes, which cook into a tender layer beneath a browned top. This version adds pearl barley to the lamb and serves the hotpots with spiced cabbage and beetroot.

The method builds flavour by browning the lamb first, then baking it slowly with stock. The sharp, spiced vegetables make a lively contrast to the rich meat and soft barley.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1050 calories, 49g protein, 100g carbs, 48g fat.

The lamb provides most of the protein and much of the fat, while the potatoes, pearl barley and breadcrumb topping supply most of the carbohydrates. Butter and oil add further fat, and the sugar in the spiced vinegar mixture contributes a substantial share of the sugars. Balance the plate with a generous serving of the cabbage and beetroot alongside one hotpot.

Choosing the lamb

Neck fillet: Cut it into even 3 cm pieces so they brown at a similar rate. The recipe cooks these pieces with the barley mixture.

Cutlets: Keep them separate while browning, then stand two in each dish with the bones upright. This gives each individual hotpot its own cutlets and makes the dishes easy to portion.

Build a savoury barley base

Brown in batches: Give the lamb enough room in the pan to colour rather than steam. Keep the neck pieces apart from the cutlets as directed.

Coat the grains: Stir the barley through the softened onions and butter before adding stock. This helps distribute the grains through the cooking liquid, while thyme and Worcestershire sauce deepen the savoury flavour.

Layer for a crisp top

Overlapping slices: Arrange the potatoes in a close, overlapping layer so they cover the meat. Leave the cutlet bones visible above the slices, as described in the method.

Two-stage bake: Keep the dishes covered for the first 1 hour 30 minutes at 140°C, then remove the foil and raise the oven to 200°C. Add the mint breadcrumbs for the final 20–30 minutes, watching for a golden, crisp finish.

Balance the spiced vegetables

Vinegar reduction: Boil the two vinegars with the sugar and spices, then reduce the liquid by half and strain it. Straining removes the whole spices before the reduction is mixed into the vegetables.

Cabbage and beetroot: Cook the cabbage gently until soft, then add the already boiled beetroot and the reduction. Warm them together rather than cooking the beetroot from raw.

What to serve alongside

The recipe’s cabbage and beetroot are designed to be served beside the hotpots, not baked into them. Their vinegar-led seasoning cuts through the richness of the lamb and buttery potato topping.

For a simple meal, serve one individual hotpot with a generous spoonful of the vegetables. The recipe does not specify an additional side.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pat the lamb dry before browning to help it colour in the pan.
• Brown the meat in batches rather than crowding the pan.
• Slice the potatoes to an even 5 mm thickness for more uniform baking.
• Keep the hotpots covered for the full first bake so the meat and barley cook in the stock.
• Check the potato and breadcrumb topping towards the end of the uncovered bake, as browning can vary between ovens.
• Strain the vinegar reduction before adding it to the cabbage and beetroot.

Variations

• Herb swap: Use finely chopped parsley instead of mint in the breadcrumb topping.
• More thyme: Add an extra thyme sprig to the stock mixture for a stronger herbal note.
• Root vegetable side: Replace some of the beetroot with cooked carrot, keeping the cabbage and spiced reduction.
• Smaller dishes: Divide the mixture among more ovenproof dishes and adjust the bake by checking that the potatoes are tender and browned.
• Peppery topping: Add a little extra black pepper to the breadcrumb mixture before scattering it over the potatoes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowded browning pan: The lamb can steam instead of colour; brown it in batches.
• Uneven potato slices: Thick pieces may stay firm while thin ones brown; aim for even 5 mm slices.
• Foil left on too long: The topping will not crisp; remove the foil before the final bake.
• Skipping the reduction: The vegetables will lack the recipe’s concentrated sweet-and-sour seasoning; reduce the vinegar mixture by half.
• Adding whole spices to the vegetables: They can be unpleasant to bite; strain the reduction before mixing it in.
• Assuming the cabbage butter amount: The method mentions butter for the cabbage but gives no separate quantity; check the recipe source if you need an exact amount.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in covered containers for up to 2 days. Reheat the hotpot and vegetables until piping hot throughout; the potato topping is best reheated in the oven so it can crisp again.

Frequently asked questions