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1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy metal pan over high heat. Season the lamb pieces with salt and pepper, then brown in batches without crowding. Turn each piece only when it releases cleanly from the pan. The lamb is ready for the coccio when every cut surface carries a deep mahogany crust and the pan smells of caramelised meat — not steam.
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2
While the lamb browns, trim the artichokes: strip away all outer fibrous leaves until only pale, tender hearts remain. Halve each artichoke lengthways and rub the cut surfaces immediately with lemon to prevent oxidation. The flesh should be ivory-green with no browning when it enters the pot.
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3
Arrange the browned lamb pieces in the terracotta coccio. Nestle the artichoke halves cut-side up among the joints. Lay the rosemary sprigs across the top. Pour in the Vermentino and add the mirto liqueur (or mirto berries). The liquid should come no more than one-third of the way up the lamb — the artichokes will surrender their own moisture as they cook. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the coccio's slow, even diffusion of heat allows lamb and artichoke to exchange moisture without the artichokes disintegrating or the lamb tightening — a metal vessel at the same temperature will do neither.
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4
Cover the coccio tightly with its lid or a double layer of foil. Place in an oven set to 150 °C. Braise undisturbed for 2 hours. At the end of the braise, lift the lid: the liquid should have reduced to a concentrated, slightly syrupy pool, the surface of the lamb glistening rather than swimming. The smell must be resinous and berry-sweet — the mirto should be present but not dominant.
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5
Remove the coccio from the oven and allow the braise to rest, covered, inside the pot for 15 minutes before serving. The lamb is done when a skewer meets no resistance at the thickest point and the artichoke hearts yield to the slightest pressure without falling apart. Carry the coccio to the table and serve directly from it.