Latin jazz musician Willie Bobo has many memorable songs. Inspired by a bag of lamb bones sitting on the second shelf of my fridge, every time I saw it last week, it led me to start humming one of his tunes; “Fried Neckbones and Some Homefries.” After days of the tune running endlessly in my imagination every time I saw the bag, I decided to just turn those bones into a stew.  

I know, that’s a long-ass introduction to a simple thought. Blame it on my collaborator, Jonathan, as he gets delirious anytime he can add anything with salsa flavor (food or music) to his day – even if, in this case, it’s not one of his favorite Willie Bobo creations. 

Anyway, I took those lamb neck bones and made a version of “seco de chivo.” Actually, the traditional recipe calls for goat rather than lamb. Regardless, with Willie Bobo in my ears, and neck bones on the shelf, they’d have to do. And just to get you in the mood for the deliciousness that emerged, here’s a much better Willie Bobo song with food in the title. 

Back to the story! This lamb-based stew was adapted from several different sources, first from Chef Gaston Arcurio and second from Martin Morales (the latter’s version found in his book Ceviche). This stew is typical of “Limenian” dishes from Peru. It uses a super-simple stewing process yet yields deep, rich flavors, all from seasoning and ingredients easily available here in North America. And lamb necks, too often viewed as third-grade cuts of meat, make fantastic “bone” broth” or stews. Buen provecho!