A Simple Hearty Mutton Stew

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 02/7/22
Mutton stew

 

cookedphotos / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 105 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
447 Calories
21g Fat
36g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 447
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 628mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 17mg 83%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 1072mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If it's cold outside and you're craving something warm and filling, try this recipe for homemade mutton stew. This hearty dish is loaded with protein, vegetables, and flavor.

Don't have mutton at the moment? Don't despair. Mutton is simply older lamb—literally. The meat of mutton, hogget, and lamb all come from sheep at various life stages. Lamb is baby sheep. Hogget is the meat of older but underage sheep, and mutton is the meat of adult sheep.

Mutton isn't as popular of meat in the United States as lamb is, so you're more likely to find lamb than aged sheep meat. Given this, if mutton is hard to come by in your area, you can substitute lamb for mutton instead. Just know that lamb meat tends to be more expensive.

Although sheep meat isn't nearly as the mainstream of meat as beef or chicken are in the U.S., it does have a following. Mutton stew is part of the Navajo Nation's traditional cuisine, for example. Sheepmeat is also commonly eaten by the British, Greeks, Nigerians, South Asians, New Zealanders, and Iranians. You'll find that mutton and lamb are beloved in a number of immigrant communities in America.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless mutton, preferably from the neck and breast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 6 cups chicken stock

  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1/4 cup ketchup

  • 1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1 small turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Sprinkle mutton or lamb generously with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.

  3. Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven pot large enough to hold all ingredients. Quickly brown the mutton in a single layer, taking care not to crowd the meat. (You may need to do this in batches.) Add chicken stock, celery, sweet onion, and ​ketchup. Stir to combine.

  4. Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about an hour.

  5. After the mutton has cooked for an hour, add green beans, potato, turnip, and carrots to the meat in the pot. Stir to combine. Return to a slow boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, about an additional 30 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

  6. Enjoy!