Bighorn Sheep Rogan Josh

Bighorn Sheep Rogan Josh

  • Duration

    5 hours

  • Serves

    4
Chef’s notes

This recipe comes from MeatEater Cooks—our new culinary series available on YouTube.

Rogan Josh is a dish steeped in history. Believed to have its origins in Persia, “Rogan” refers to the clarified butter that makes the base of the dish, while “Josh” is a Hindi term meaning “fiery.”

Basically, this is a dish of sheep trotters braised in a spicy red chili gravy. You can choose to serve this dish with either Basmati rice or freshly made Naan bread if you’re feeling ambitious. The real secret to this dish is to allow the sauce to cook long enough that a raft of crimson red butter rises to the top. While the dish is great when it’s first made, it really improves if you leave it to cool to room temp and then reheat it when you’re ready to eat.

To watch Janis and I cook up the bighorn ram he harvested last fall, click here.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. bighorn sheep trotters
  • 2 tbsp. ghee
  • 5 shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 tsp. Indian ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp. Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp. fennel powder
  • 1 tsp. ginger powder
  • ½ cup full-fat yoghurt
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Also works with

Any game shank

Preparation

  1. Use a mortar and pestel to crush the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and cumin. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the Kashmiri chili, fennel powder, ginger powder, and ¼ cup of water until you have a smooth paste.
  3. In a heavy-bottom Dutch oven, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add the black cardamom pod, bay leaf, and shallots and cook slowly until browned.
  4. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Generously season the trotters with salt and black pepper. Add the sheep trotters to the pan and allow to brown for 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Add the chili paste and allow to cook for 2 minutes, then add the yoghurt, cover and allow to simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
  7. Once the oil starts to separate add the powdered spices and 2 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to a low simmer, cover, and allow to cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is tender.
  8. Once tender remove from the heat and allow the meat to sit covered in the sauce for at least 1 hour, or up to 6 hours, before serving. Reheat before serving and garnish with chopped cilantro.

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Bighorn Sheep Rogan Josh

Recipe by: Kevin Gillespie
Bighorn Sheep Rogan Josh
  • Duration

    5 hours

  • Serves

    4
Chef’s notes

This recipe comes from MeatEater Cooks—our new culinary series available on YouTube.

Rogan Josh is a dish steeped in history. Believed to have its origins in Persia, “Rogan” refers to the clarified butter that makes the base of the dish, while “Josh” is a Hindi term meaning “fiery.”

Basically, this is a dish of sheep trotters braised in a spicy red chili gravy. You can choose to serve this dish with either Basmati rice or freshly made Naan bread if you’re feeling ambitious. The real secret to this dish is to allow the sauce to cook long enough that a raft of crimson red butter rises to the top. While the dish is great when it’s first made, it really improves if you leave it to cool to room temp and then reheat it when you’re ready to eat.

To watch Janis and I cook up the bighorn ram he harvested last fall, click here.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. bighorn sheep trotters
  • 2 tbsp. ghee
  • 5 shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 tsp. Indian ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp. Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp. fennel powder
  • 1 tsp. ginger powder
  • ½ cup full-fat yoghurt
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Also works with

Any game shank

Preparation

  1. Use a mortar and pestel to crush the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and cumin. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the Kashmiri chili, fennel powder, ginger powder, and ¼ cup of water until you have a smooth paste.
  3. In a heavy-bottom Dutch oven, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add the black cardamom pod, bay leaf, and shallots and cook slowly until browned.
  4. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Generously season the trotters with salt and black pepper. Add the sheep trotters to the pan and allow to brown for 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Add the chili paste and allow to cook for 2 minutes, then add the yoghurt, cover and allow to simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
  7. Once the oil starts to separate add the powdered spices and 2 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to a low simmer, cover, and allow to cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is tender.
  8. Once tender remove from the heat and allow the meat to sit covered in the sauce for at least 1 hour, or up to 6 hours, before serving. Reheat before serving and garnish with chopped cilantro.