Calabria — throughout the region, particularly the Cosenza and Reggio Calabria provinces where both young lamb and dried peperoncino are the dominant proteins and seasonings. The preparation is documented in Calabrian cooking sources from the 19th century.
Agnello al peperoncino is the assertive Calabrian lamb preparation: young lamb pieces braised in olive oil with a generous amount of dried peperoncino (both sweet and hot varieties together), white wine, tomato, garlic, and fresh oregano. The chilli does not make the dish merely hot — it transforms the flavour of the braised lamb, adding a complexity and warmth that the herb-forward preparations of the north cannot achieve. It is the Calabrian approach to lamb: direct, spiced, and without ambiguity. It is served with the braising liquid and coarse bread for soaking.
Agnello al peperoncino is frank and direct — the lamb is yielding and slightly sweet; the peperoncino warmth builds gradually through the meal rather than arriving as a shock; the tomato adds acidity and rounds the chilli heat; the olive oil binds everything into a dense, coating sauce. With coarse bread and rough Calabrian wine, it is exactly what it presents itself as.
Brown the lamb pieces well in olive oil — dark, even browning on all surfaces. Remove. In the same oil, sauté sliced garlic and both varieties of dried peperoncino (whole dried peperoncino rosso for fragrance; crushed for heat). Add the lamb, white wine, crushed tomato, and fresh oregano. Braise covered at a low simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the lamb is completely tender and the braising liquid has reduced to a dense sauce. Season with salt at the end — the peperoncino provides salt-adjacent flavour. The final dish should be emphatically spiced — hot enough to warm the palate, not hot enough to mask the lamb's sweetness.
Calabrian dried peperoncino (both the rosso dolce and the rosso piccante) is available from Calabrian specialty importers. The ratio of sweet to hot is approximately 3:1 — enough heat to be noticed; not enough to dominate. The braising liquid, dense with reduced lamb juices and chilli oil, is as good as the lamb itself, soaked up with coarse Calabrian bread.
Using only hot peperoncino — the combination of sweet and hot dried peperoncino is essential; sweet alone is mild; hot alone is aggressive; together they produce depth. Under-braising — the lamb must be completely falling tender; 1.5 hours minimum. Not browning the lamb well — the Maillard crust is essential for flavour.
Slow Food Editore, Calabria in Cucina; Elizabeth David, Italian Food