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When you shop for lamb stew, ask the butcher where the meat was cut from. The most tender comes from the shoulder, but stew from the leg that will work, too. It tends to be leaner, but a bit drier. The thickness of the sauce depends on the type of tomato product you use. If you want a thick, smooth sauce, look for crushed tomatoes in the can; for a lighter sauce, use chopped or diced canned tomatoes (with their juice).
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3 pounds boneless lamb stew
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 cups pinot grigio or other dry white wine
1 large can (28 oz) chopped or crushed tomatoes
4 ounces black Italian olives (see note), rinsed
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Remove meat from package and cut into 1-inch pieces, trimming away excess fat; place in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grindings of pepper and toss well. Mince together parsley leaves and garlic. Sprinkle over meat, toss again, then let stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, adding more oil to pot as necessary. When last batch of meat has been removed, add onion and rosemary to pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and let boil until almost evaporated, then stir in tomatoes and 1/2 cup water and return meat to pot with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
When meat is tender remove from heat, stir in olives and let stand, uncovered, until olives are hot through, about 5 minutes.
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