Lamb neck fillet is the cut Si and Dave reach for more than any other, and the One Pot Wonders book sums up why: it is “a good economical cut, lean and tasty.” It is cheap, full of flavour and almost impossible to dry out because the fat keeps it moist through long cooking.
These seven recipes all come straight from the Hairy Bikers cookbooks, and I have written each one out in full so you can cook it without hunting for the book. They run from light spring braises to rich winter pies, so there is something here whatever the weather.
The Perfect Pies book gives the one rule that matters with this cut: “leave quite a bit of fat to keep the meat succulent.” Trim it too hard and you lose what makes neck fillet special, so go easy with the knife.
Lamb with Spring Vegetables
The lightest neck fillet recipe the bikers do, from Meat Feasts. The lamb braises in white wine and stock with fresh herbs, then a pile of spring vegetables goes in staged so nothing overcooks. You end up with tender lamb in a golden broth packed with green veg. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 750g lamb neck fillet, cut diagonally into 2cm slices
- 10g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 250ml white wine
- 250ml lamb or chicken stock
- A sprig each of rosemary, mint and parsley
- 8 baby or chantenay carrots
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 4 baby turnips, halved
- 1 large courgette
- 2 leeks
- 200g sprouting broccoli, trimmed
- 100g broad beans or peas
- Chopped parsley and shredded mint, to garnish
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, sear the lamb on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- Turn the heat down, melt the butter and soften the onion without colouring it. Return the lamb and season.
- Turn the heat up, pour in the wine and stock, add the herbs and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and halve the carrots lengthways, cut the fennel into wedges, halve the turnips and slice the courgette and leeks on the diagonal.
- Add the carrots, fennel and turnips and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the leeks, then 5 minutes later add the courgette, broccoli and broad beans. Simmer for at least another 5 minutes until everything is tender.
- Serve scattered with parsley and mint.
Spanish Lamb with Peas
From the Mediterranean Adventure, this braises floured neck chunks with tomatoes and cinnamon, then finishes with soft sweet peas and a nutty picada paste. The bikers say the peas should cook down soft, “that’s the way the Spanish like them.” Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 750g lamb neck fillet, cut into thick chunks
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Sprig of thyme
- 500g fresh or frozen peas
- Salt and black pepper
For the picada:
- 1 tbsp almonds
- 1 tbsp hazelnuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25g breadcrumbs
- 25ml dry sherry (or water)
- Pinch of saffron
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a casserole. Season and flour the lamb, then fry in batches until browned all over. Set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil, then fry the onions for 10 to 15 minutes until caramelising. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon and herbs and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down.
- Return the lamb, pour over just enough water to cover, bring to the boil then simmer covered for about an hour until tender. Add the peas, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
- For the picada, toast the nuts in a dry pan, then set aside. Fry the breadcrumbs in the oil until golden, then add the sherry. Grind the saffron with a pinch of salt.
- Blitz the nuts to a powder in a processor, add all the other picada ingredients and process smooth, loosening with a little cooking liquid if needed. Stir into the pan and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve.
Uzbek Plov
A complete rice and lamb supper from One Pot Wonders, cooked in one dish with a whole head of garlic buried in the rice. Everyone squeezes the soft sweet garlic out at the table. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 600g lamb neck fillet, diced
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 carrots, coarsely grated
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- Up to 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g basmati rice
- 1 head of garlic, left whole
- Salt and black pepper
- Gherkins and pickled chillies, to serve (optional)
Method
- Heat the oil in a large casserole and sear the lamb on all sides. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until the onions soften.
- Add the cumin and coriander seeds and season well. Pour in enough stock to cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for about an hour until tender.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
- Lift out the lamb and veg with a slotted spoon. Pour the liquid into a jug and top up to 800ml with stock. Return the meat and veg to the dish.
- Drain the rice, stir it into the dish to coat, then pour in the 800ml stock. Trim the top off the garlic head and sit it in the centre of the rice.
- Bring to the boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the rice absorbs the liquid. Off the heat, cover with a folded tea towel under the lid and steam 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice and serve from the dish, with gherkins and chillies if you like.
French Lamb Casserole (Navarin)
This One Pot Wonders classic braises cubed neck with white wine, flageolet beans and a secret hit of anchovy. The bikers promise it “won’t taste fishy” because the anchovies just melt into a rich savoury background, the same trick they use in their leg of lamb. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, finely sliced
- 4 turnips, cut into wedges
- 2 leeks, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 large courgette, sliced on the diagonal
- 600g lamb neck fillet, cubed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g can anchovies, drained and chopped
- A few rosemary sprigs, 1 thyme sprig, 2 bay leaves
- 300ml white wine
- 200ml chicken stock
- 2 x 400g cans flageolet beans, drained
- Salt and black pepper
- Chopped parsley, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large casserole. When hot, brown all the vegetables over a high heat, in batches if needed, then remove.
- Add the lamb and sear on all sides, then stir in the garlic and anchovies. Add the herbs, season and pour in the wine. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the stock. Partially cover and simmer 45 minutes.
- Return the vegetables and cook partially covered for another 30 minutes until tender. Add the beans and cook 10 more minutes. Serve scattered with parsley.
Lamb and Aubergine Casserole
A Middle Eastern style casserole from Everyday Winners, with red wine, tomatoes, cinnamon and lemon zest. The aubergine goes back in at the end so it softens into the sauce. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large aubergines, cut into large chunks
- 1 large onion, diced
- 500g lamb neck fillet, diced and trimmed
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large thyme sprig
- 1 large oregano sprig or 2 tsp dried
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 200ml red wine
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 pieces pared lemon zest
- 2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
- Small bunch each parsley and mint, to garnish
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a casserole and brown the aubergine chunks all over, then remove. Add the rest of the oil, then sear the lamb and onion until the lamb is browned and the onion translucent.
- Add the garlic, herbs and cinnamon, cook a couple of minutes, then pour in the wine. Bring to the boil, add the tomatoes and lemon zest, season, then simmer covered for an hour.
- Return the aubergine, add the peppers and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes until the aubergine is soft and the lamb tender. Garnish with herbs and serve with rice or couscous.
Lamb, Lentil and Spinach Soup
A hearty Meat Feasts soup the bikers call “a sort of 21st-century mulligatawny.” The lentils thicken the broth without any flour or cream, and a squeeze of lemon lifts it at the end. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g lamb neck fillet, cut into 1.5cm dice
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 litre chicken stock or water
- 100g red lentils, rinsed
- 300g spinach
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sear the lamb briefly on all sides, then lift out, leaving the oil. Turn the heat down, soften the onion, then add the garlic and all the spices and stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add half the stock, season and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the lentils and the rest of the stock, then simmer another 30 minutes until the lentils break down and thicken the soup.
- Trim any thick stems off the spinach and push it into the soup gradually as it wilts.
- Simmer a few more minutes until the spinach has broken down. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, adjust the seasoning and serve.
Gloucestershire Squab Pie
An old West Country pie from Perfect Pies that pairs neck fillet with Bramley apples under shortcrust. The apple almost melts into the gravy and cuts through the rich lamb. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 1kg lamb neck fillet, cut into 3cm chunks
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 2 to 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped
- 500ml chicken or lamb stock
- 300ml cold water
- 300g Bramley apple
- 4 to 5 sage leaves, shredded
- Black pepper
For the pastry:
- 75g cold lard, cubed
- 75g cold butter, cubed
- 300g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
Method
- Toss the lamb chunks in the seasoned flour. Brown in batches in the oil, then transfer to a casserole.
- Brown the onions in the same pan, then tip into the casserole with the nutmeg, allspice and rosemary. Pour in the stock and water, bring to the boil and simmer 40 minutes until the lamb is tender and the gravy has thickened. Season, then cool for 30 minutes.
- For the pastry, rub the lard and butter into the flour and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Reserve 2 tbsp of egg for glazing and stir the rest in to form a dough. Knead lightly and shape into a ball.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Peel, core and slice the apple, then toss with the sage and black pepper. Spoon half the lamb into a pie dish, top with half the apple, then the rest of the lamb and a final layer of apple piled up high.
- Sit a pie funnel in the centre. Roll out the pastry, lay strips on the egg-washed rim, then lift the lid over the funnel and seal. Cut a cross in the centre, brush with egg and bake 25 minutes until golden.
FAQs
What is lamb neck fillet best for?
Slow braising, stewing and pies. Neck fillet has the right balance of meat and fat to stay tender through long, gentle cooking, which is why almost every recipe here simmers it for an hour or more. It is not a cut for quick grilling because it needs time for the fat and connective tissue to soften.
That slow cooking is also what makes it so forgiving, since you cannot really overcook it the way you can with leaner cuts. Leave it bubbling away a little longer than the recipe says and it only gets more tender.
Can I use shoulder or leg instead of neck fillet?
Shoulder is an almost perfect swap because it has similar fat and braises the same way. Several of these recipes list shoulder as an alternative right in the cookbook, including the spring vegetable braise and the aubergine casserole.
Leg works too but it is leaner, so watch the timing because it can dry out if you push it too far. If you only have leg, add a splash more stock and check it earlier. For the squab pie and the plov, neck or shoulder will always give a better result than leg.
