Tasting Spoons

Have any of you begun watching the TV show with Steve Raichlen, the grill expert and author of any number of grill cookbooks? He has a program on PBS called “Primal Grill.” His show is filmed somewhere in Arizona, apparently his ranch, cows grazing close by, an ancient pickup truck in the background, and several different kinds of grills behind him. I can’t say that he’s all that natural behind a camera, but I like his recipes. I own a couple of his cookbooks and haven’t ever been disappointed in anything I’ve made. The recipes for all his shows are available on his website, Primal Grill . This particular segment was about cooking lamb, and as I watched him sink a knife and fork into this burger and saw the goat cheese oozing out of it, I knew I had to make this.

Ground lamb isn’t available in my markets, so had to go to a butcher to get it – and all they had was frozen in one pound chunks. So, the burgers I made with two pounds made slightly larger burgers than indicated. And I used less goat cheese – the recipe indicated 8 ounces of goat cheese, but there was no way I could have enclosed 2 ounces of goat cheese into my burgers. I’ve altered the recipe to that effect. I ended up making 8 thin patties, putting the goat cheese between two of them and sealing up the edges. Our burgers were done in 8 minutes per side (instead of 7, but remember we used a bit more meat), and were absolutely delicious! My DH adores Greek salad, so the yogurt cucumber sauce dolloped on top of the burger, that oozed down onto the “salad” and each morsel combining a piece of meat (with goat cheese) and some lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber was sublime. We didn’t have the pita bread, just the “salad” underneath, so you can do that as well. If you like lamb, this one’s a winner.

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce
Recipe: From Steve Raichlen, the primalgrill.org
Servings: 4
BURGERS:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 small onion — finely chopped
1 clove garlic — minced
3 tablespoons fresh mint — or 2 teaspoons dried mint
3 tablespoons Italian parsley — finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano — preferably Greek
1 teaspoon coarse salt — (kosher or sea) or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces goat cheese — Chevre, soft log
SERVING:
4 whole pita bread rounds
4 romaine lettuce leaves — rinsed
1/2 whole red onion — paper-thin slices
1 medium cucumber — peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium tomato — thinly sliced
YOGURT SAUCE: (makes 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium cucumber — minced
1 clove garlic — minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt — or
Kosher salt or sea salt
1 cup yogurt — Greek, thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh mint — chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the ground lamb, chopped onion, garlic, mint, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Wet your hands with cold water and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty with a quarter of the goat cheese in the center. (Make sure cheese is completely covered with meat.) Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
2. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
3. Grill the lamb burgers until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side (about 170 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer). Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm.
4. Place the pita breads on the grill, and lowering the temperature and working in batches, if necessary, grill until toasted, about 1 minute per side.
5. Cut a slit in each pita. Place a lettuce leaf inside, followed by a burger, an onion slice, if using, some cucumber and tomato slices, and a generous dollop of yogurt sauce. Serve at once.
6. Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce: Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a melon baller or spoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber. Place the garlic and salt in a mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Stir in the grated cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, and mint. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.
NOTES: I don’t use the pita breads for this - I prefer to chop up the “salad” - the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion and put that on the plate, then place the burger on top, sizzling from the grill. But if you don’t mind the carbs, you can either make this as a sandwich or as a tower with the pita on the bottom, the layers of salad, then the burgers on top.
Per Serving: 956 Calories; 62g Fat (59.0% calories from fat); 49g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 169mg Cholesterol; 1290mg Sodium.
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Oh, sorry for the fuzzy picture here. I only took one photo . . .

If you’re even the least faint of heart with a long recipe, you might want to glance right on by this one. But it’s delicious. Your guests will say wonderful things, but there is a bit of prep to this one. The kind of recipe you definitely would not do for a quick weeknight dinner! This is certainly a special occasion kind of dinner entrée. Nothing about it is hard; trust me. But, time, yes, it does take a bit. You’ll be rewarded, though, with a recipe that is eye appealing and delicious.

Carissa Giacalone, the Food Network Star finalist, prepared this at the class last week. She made a full meal, from appetizer through dessert. This was the entree. She explained that she just hates mint jelly and mint sauce, so she came up with a method of giving lamb the mint it needs but without making it part of a sweet relish or side dish. I liked her idea, although I do like mint sauce (not jelly) when it’s made with fresh mint. So, there’s this mint and basil dry pesto that gets pressed onto the lamb after it’s been browned, then it’s topped with some Panko crumbs that provide some crunch. And once the lamb is baked and sliced, you pour some red wine and port reduction sauce around the plate. The reduction takes awhile – maybe about 30 minutes altogether, but is well worth the effort.

Mint Pesto Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Reduction
Recipe: Carissa Giacalone, from a cooking class
Servings: 4
LAMB MARINADE:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves — minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary — minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint — minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme — removed from the stem, minced
2 pounds rack of lamb — 8-9 ribs, frenched & trimmed
LAMB PREP:
2 tablespoons olive oil — for browning the meat
1/2 cup red wine — to deglaze the pan
1/2 cup Panko
MINT PESTO CRUST:
1 1/2 cups fresh mint — lightly packed
3/4 cup fresh basil — lightly packed
1/2 cup walnuts — toasted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 whole garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt — plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese — freshly grated
POMEGRANATE REDUCTION:
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup Port wine — Ruby style
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter — cut into pieces Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1. MARINADE: Mix the oil, garlic, mint, thyme and half the rosemary to a bowl. Add the lamb and coat well. Wrap in plastic wrap and marinate overnight.
2. POMEGRANATE REDUCTION: Place the 2 cups of wine and cup of port in a medium saucepan and boil until it’s reduced to one cup. Whisk in the pomegranate molasses and sugar. Taste for sweetness, adjusting if necessary. Whisk in cold butter just before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring lamb to room temperature (about 45 minutes) before cooking. Remove lamb from marinade and scrape off as many of the herbs as possible.
4. MINT PESTO: In a food processor combine the mint, basil, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper until the herbs are finely chopped, but NOT soft and mushy (they won’t stick to the lamb if they’re like soft mush). If pesto is very dry, add another tablespoon of oil to the mixture (to help it hold together).
5. Preheat oven to 450 F.
6. Heat a large skillet (don’t use nonstick) over medium-high heat until the pan is almost smoking. Add 2 T. of olive oil. Season the lamb with a little salt and pepper and sear, fat side down, until it’s golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan (but reserve the pan).
7. Spread the mint pesto over the fat side of the lamb. Press to help it adhere, then sprinkle top with the Panko crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere.
8. Roast the lamb in the middle of the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 120-125 degrees F (rare/medium rare). You want to serve it at 125 for rare, and 130 for medium-rare after it’s rested. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes tented lightly with foil.
9. In the lamb skillet blot out the excess oil and deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup red wine. Boil and reduce to about 2 tablespoons. Add that reduction to the pomegranate sauce by gently whisking it into the sauce.
10. Carefully cut the lamb between the ribs into individual or double chops, taking care not to loosen the mint pesto crust from the meat. Drizzle pomegranate reduction in a zigzag pattern on the plates, fanning out decoratively. Serve immediately garnished with mint sprigs.
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So, last week I had about a pound of leftover leg of lamb. Cooked leg of lamb. My imagination failed me – I couldn’t come up with anything very innovative, nor did I really come up with anything ELSE to do with this except Shepherd’s Pie. Now, I love the stuff, but as I sat there in my kitchen typing up this post, although the A/C was set at 75, I was sweating because I’d been working in front of the oven, and stirring over the hot stove. Not a happy camper did this make. But, it had to be done. A quick dip in the pool was in order that evening. Our outside temp is in the mid 80’s most days. Somehow, Shepherd’s Pie just didn’t fit the mold for a summer dinner on the patio. But oh well. That’s what I had! And that’s what I made.

I have a fantastic Shepherd’s Pie with Latin Twist that I posted – oh, probably last year – that has a southwest flair to it and uses mashed sweet potatoes and regular potatoes on the top. It’s a spicy hot mixture. But the leg of lamb leftovers didn’t suit me for that recipe, so I went online and found one at Epicurious. Other testers had made some comments, so I took those into consideration as I chopped and minced, stirred, and thickened the mixture. My version is a very loose adaptation of that recipe.

My understanding is that Shepherd’s Pie was one of those things British home cooks did with the leftover Sunday roast and the leftover Sunday mashers. And likely the leftover gravy as well. At least that’s the way I’ve made it many times in the past. But I didn’t have anything except the leftover lamb, so needed to improvise with all the other ingredients. I don’t like turnips. I didn’t have leeks. So, I used what I had on hand (onions, carrots, celery, the lamb and potatoes). I totally forgot to add the frozen peas. But then, I’m not all that crazy about overcooked peas; and that’s why sometimes I sprinkle the just refreshed frozen peas to the TOP of the dish after it’s come out of the oven. That way you still have bright green peas. They’re kind of a mandatory ingredient in my book.

This made enough for one deep dish pie plate and two single crocks full of it for the freezer. If you have he-men eating, maybe this won’t serve 8, but if you round out a meal with a salad perhaps, this would certainly serve that many normal servings. Verdict: really, really good. The sauce was finger-lickin’ good with the use of red wine and some of the chicken broth concentrate (the paste stuff I buy at Penzey’s).

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe: Inspired and loosely adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.

Servings: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 whole yellow onion — minced

3 whole carrots — cubed or sliced

2 stalks celery — diced

2 whole garlic cloves — minced

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine

2 cups broth — beef or chicken

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 pound lamb — cooked, cubed

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

MASHED POTATOES:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

3 tablespoons milk — or cream, or half and half

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces cream cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat a large, heavy skillet and add the oil and butter.  When it’s bubbling, add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking until the vegetables are nearly cooked, but not soft.  Add the garlic.  Sprinkle the flour all over the vegetables and stir to make sure all the flour is absorbed with the vegetables.  Add all of the liquid (broth and wine) at the same time and simmer until the mixture has thickened.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the peeled potatoes.  Simmer until the potatoes are just barely cooked through.  Drain and mash while they’re hot.  Add the milk, butter, cream cheese and seasonings.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

3.  To the large skillet with the vegetables, add the lamb, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Add more water if mixture is too thick.

4.  Pour or scoop the meat mixture into a deep pie dish or casserole.  Spoon the mashed potatoes on top, and try to spread it to the outer edges.

5.  Preheat the oven to 350 and bake the pie for about 20-30 minutes until heated through.  Add cheese on top if you’d prefer it (Cheddar or Parmesan).

Per Serving: 430 Calories; 21g Fat (47.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 185mg Sodium. 

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At Costco the other day I purchased a small boneless Australian leg of lamb. I don’t buy them very often because even the small ones are simply too much meat for us to use. And I like to prepare them whole – not cut it in half with freezing part of it (because I think the frozen pieces never are as good as the freshly prepared ones). So I have to be creative in using the leftovers. And we generally invite somebody over for dinner when we fix it. Our son, his wife, and our young year-old grandson joined us this time. I wasn’t motivated enough to make a salsa or sauce this time, but opted to serve it simply, as is. But I did serve it with the watermelon tomato salad, the BBQ macaroni (pasta) salad, and some grilled pineapple (see below).

First I brined it. The experts say red meat (beef and lamb) doesn’t require brining, but I thought it would be a good thing to help retain moisture. I used a spicy herb brine mix that I buy from Whole Foods. As a side note, I use a whole lot less of the salt mixture than the jar indicates (if I used their proportions I’d use up the mixture in about 3 brinings. And if you’re not sure how salty to make it, add some salt to whatever quantity of water you think you need to cover the meat, then TASTE IT. If it’s mildly salty, that’s perfect. Very salty - add more water. You want it to be pleasantly salty. If you can’t really taste the salt, add a bit more.) I’m very sensitive to salt, so I prefer a mildly salt brine, but it’s completely up to your palate.

I let it marinate (turning it several times) for about 4-5 hours, drained it, then Dave threaded it onto the rotisserie probe. The roast was covered in one of those elastic mesh thingies – that held firm all through the grilling process. Because the brine was already spiced, I opted not to use the lemon marinade from the recipe (below) I referred to (Rotisseried Leg of Lamb with Lemon and Butter, from Steven Raichlen’s book, The Barbecue Bible). The recipe includes, though, a basting mixture of oil, lemon juice, white wine (I used just lemon juice), garlic, oregano and pepper, which Dave slathered on the meat every 15 minutes of its grilling. The recipe indicates to grill until the meat reaches 170 F. That’s way too long if you like red-hued meat. We took it off the grill at 140 F, and let it sit. It was still blood rare, so I might opt to cook it just a tad longer (like 145 F). We let it sit loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes (should have been 10) before carving and serving. It was delicious.

As with most legs of lamb, some parts of the meat are more tender than others, but it was cooked very nicely, and I liked the flavor. The combination of the lamb with grilled pineapple was really great.

THE GRILLED PINEAPPLE: We sliced the peeled pineapple in full rounds about ¾ inch thick and grilled just long enough on each side to get lovely grill marks and be hot throughout. If you’ve never had grilled pineapple, may I nicely tell you - NOW - get yourself to a market with good-quality, ripe pineapples and buy one. It’s one of the simplest sides (or dessert with vanilla ice cream if you’re so inclined) that you’ll ever make. I mean - you cut off the skins, remove most of the eyes, slice and grill. If you do it for dessert, maybe put a tiny amount of brown sugar on one side. Either way, the pineapple gets this unctuous caramelized appearance AND caramel flavor. Not to be missed.

As for the lamb: Now we’ll see what I can concoct for the leftovers. Any of you have favorites? My first go-to would be shepherd’s pie, but it’s awfully hot weather for that. So, we’ll see what I can invent this time.

Rotisseried Leg of Lamb with Lemons and Lemon Baste

Recipe: Steven Raichlen, The Barbecue Bible

Servings: 8

3 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb — butterflied

MARINADE:

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 whole lemon — halved

6 tablespoons unsalted butter — room temp

BASTING MIXTURE:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cloves garlic — minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano — crushed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.  MARINADE:Combine the salt, pepper and oregano in a small bowl.  Open out the butterflied leg of lamb on a cutting board so the inside is UP and sprinkle the meat with one third of the spice mixture.  Squeeze the juice from one lemon half over the meat, then cut the used lemon half into quarters.  Set the pieces aside while you rub the surface of the lamb with 3 tablespoons of butter, then scatter the lemon pieces on top.  Fold the lamb back into its original cylindrical shape and tie it at 1-inch intervals with butcher’s string.  Place on a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

2.  Set up the grill for rotisserie cooking and preheat to high.

3.  When ready to cook, skewer the lamb roast lengthwise on the spit and rub all over with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Add another generous sprinkling of the spice mixture.  Attach the spit to the rotisserie mechanism, cover and let the meat start rotating.

4.  BASTING MIXTURE: combine the oil, lemon juice, wine, garlic, oregano and pepper in a medium-sized nonreactive (plastic is good) bowl and whisk to mix.

5.  After the meat has been rotating for 15 minutes, restir the basting mixture and brush it all over the lamb, using a long-handled basting brush.  Cook the lamb until crusty and brown on the outside and done to taste, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  An instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast will register 145 for rare, or 160 for medium or 170 for well done.

6.  Uncover the grill every 15 minutes to brush more basting mixture on the meat throughout its cooking time.  Add more of the seasoning mixture from time to time.  (If using a charcoal grill, add 10-12 fresh coals per side after one hour.)

7.  Transfer the roast, on the spit, to a cutting board.  Extract the spit and let the roast rest for 10 minutes.  Remove string and slice.

NOTES : If the leg of lamb has one very large hump of meat once you open it up, it’s wise to make a deep cut in that part of the meat to create another surface - like a flap, so to speak. Don’t cut all the way through, just enough to add another valley for adding spices and lemons.

Per Serving: 477 Calories; 33g Fat (62.8% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 152mg Cholesterol; 836mg Sodium.

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Well, no, Martha wasn’t there. But one of her big fans was the hostess, who prepared a dinner using four of Martha’s highlighted recipes from the Martha Stewart’s Living July ’08 issue. Kathleen invited us to her home for dinner, and we had such a fun evening. We had wine (of course) and I helped just a little bit in the kitchen with the aioli sauce. Other than that, Kathleen had done all the work ahead.

Each magazine always includes a four-recipe perforated card in the issue; color pictures on one side, recipes on the back. The recipes are designed to go together to make a full meal. Here’s the delicious menu. Click on each title to link to Martha’s website for the recipes:

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Herb Aioli

The lamb shoulder chops were grilled briefly (perfectly) and served with the cold herb aioli on the side which took but a couple of minutes to whiz up in the food processor. It was delicious – the hot meat and the cold sauce were great together since it was a warm evening.

Couscous Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Israeli couscous is different than ordinary (fine-grained) couscous. The Israeli version is more like the size of the large round tapioca grains. Traditional couscous is kind of irregularly shaped, but the Israeli are perfectly honed little globes. They make for a very pretty bowl. This is prepared just before serving (it can sit at room temp for awhile, so the recipe says). And this is an extremely low fat dish – only one tablespoon of oil for the entire salad for four people.

Minted Watermelon Salad

In Martha’s version, you use ricotta salata cheese. Kathleen couldn’t find it, so she used feta instead, which was wonderful. I’d never have thought to pair watermelon with feta. It was delicious, especially with the fresh mint too. I’d probably use more mint, but then I like the stuff in lots of things.

Raspberry and Lemon Sorbet Floats

Kathleen couldn’t find sorbet, so she used sherbet instead. These were just delicious with Vernors ginger ale poured over the sherbet. I mean it – so easy – and so refreshing on a hot summer’s night. She served them in brightly colored glasses, and we just sipped away. I looked up some info about Vernors – they claim to be the first American soft drink. The story is interesting – James Vernor went off to fight in the Civil War, leaving behind an oak cask in the pharmacy where he worked. It was filled with ginger, vanilla and spices. When he returned 4 years later, the cask was still there and ginger ale was born. And even more interesting to me, was that from 1866 to 1991 Vernors ginger ale was sweetened with stevia, but when stevia was banned by the FDA in 1991, they began using corn syrup. An even more obscure factlet, being the English nut that I am, is that in 1950 the company decided to drop the apostrophe from Vernor’s.

Thanks, Kathleen, for a very tasty Martha dinner and an altogether lovely evening.

On those occasions when I bake or rotisserie a roast, often I don’t know what to do with the leftovers. Well, sometimes anyway. With a beef roast, I suppose you could make hash or sandwiches or open faced sandwiches. A roast chicken is another thing altogether – I’m talking about a lamb roast or pork roast. Often the meat isn’t all that moist anymore, so unless I’ve made some kind of sauce for the meat the first go-around, I’m left with a hunk of meat and big question marks in my head about what to do with it. We’re certainly not going to waste it, but serving just slices of cold roast pork or lamb doesn’t work around my house. Maybe once, but that’s it. My DH doesn’t complain – he’s SO good about eating whatever I put in front of him, generally, but dry, sliced, cold meat isn’t something that ranks high in his book of good meals. Or mine either, for that matter.

So, I have two recipes to share with you today about this leftover meat problem. The first one, the Marchand de Vin, comes from a favorite little book I own that’s eons old. I bought it used, years and years ago for $2.88. It’s called Sumptuous Sauces in the Microwave, by Patricia Tennison. If you click on the link above, you’ll get to a Google search results page with dozens of listings for her book. It’s out of print, but you can buy it used – cheap – if you’re interested. I love this little book which contains recipes for stocks, white sauces, veloutes, brown sauces, hollandaise, butter sauces, wine and beer sauces (that’s the chapter this recipe came from), gravies, pasta sauces even, a few barbecue sauces, even some veggie and salad dressings and condiments. And, last but not least, some dessert sauces (which I’ve made many times). And every single one of them is cooked (in part or full) in the microwave. What I like about them is that they’re quick and easy. When I’m preparing a leftover meal, I’m usually into QUICK things. Knowing I have leftovers makes me lazy – often I don’t start preparing dinner until 15 minutes before I want to eat. So these sauces work for me.

This particular recipe, the Marchand de Vin, in French, means Wine Merchant’s Sauce. It’s simple – shallot, butter, red wine, stock, cognac, lemon juice and thickened with cornstarch. Ideal for any grilled or roasted meat, really. You’ll find lots of different versions of this sauce if you search on the internet – some contain ham, and mushrooms (they are a nice addition to this, actually, if you have them). You can heat up the meat in the microwave, then pour the sauce over it. In and of itself this sauce isn’t something from a gourmet restaurant, but it’s tasty enough - will give meat some moisture. Be careful and don’t add too much lemon juice. If it’s too thick when you’re done, just stir in some hot water until it’s the right consistency for pouring.

The rosemary-garlic stuffed pork loin roast leftover slices heating in a skillet. I made this along with our favorite garlic green beans.

The Leftover Sauce (now, isn’t that a glamorous title? – I should give it some high-fallutin’ new name instead) is a tomato juice-based sauce, but has onion and celery in it, and a bit of chili powder and a little plop of vinegar to give it some zing. My only caution – tomato juice (or sauce if you use that instead) often contains lots of salt. Try to choose one with no or little salt in it to begin with, then you can season it however you’d like to. This one is made in a frying pan and once it’s simmered for 25 minutes or so, you add the meat slices to the pan just to heat through. If you have leftover mashed potatoes too, make more sauce so you can spoon it over those as well. This recipe came from a friend of my mother’s, Mary W., from about 1971. Tried and true, that’s what it is.

Leftover Sauces for Meat
Recipe: Marchand: from Sumptuous Sauces in the Microwave, by Patricia Tennison. Leftover Sauce: from an old family friend, Mary W.

MARCHAND DE VIN:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons shallot — finely minced
1/3 cup dry red wine — such as burgundy
1 cup beef stock — or broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cognac
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt — optional
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper — optional
Mushrooms, if you have them
1. Place butter and shallot in 4 cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until softened but not brown.
2. Stir in red wine and stock. Microwave on high 15-18 minutes, until reduced by half.
3. In a cup, mix cornstarch with water and blend until a smooth paste. Stir into wine mixture (and add mushrooms if you’re using them). Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cognac, lemon juice and taste for seasonings (salt and pepper). Add water if it’s too thick. 

LEFTOVER SAUCE:
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup onion — chopped
3/4 cup celery — chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt — or no salt depending on juice or sauce used
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato juice — or 1/3 cup tomato sauce + 2/3 cup water
1.  In a large frying pan, sauté onion and celery in the oil until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 4-8 minutes.
2.  Add sugar, dry mustard, salt and chili powder.  Stir to combine, then add vinegar and tomato juice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Add sliced meat to the pan and heat through.  Do not cook meat, just warm it through. Add water if sauce is too thick.
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I don’t know about you, but I don’t cook lamb all that often. It’s expensive, for one thing. And it doesn’t appeal to everyone’s taste. We’ve been known to barbecue a butterflied leg of lamb on many a family get-together, but it makes a lot, and I never seem to do well with the leftovers. Cold barbecued lamb just doesn’t lend itself very well, to me, to very many recipes. I haven’t made that in a long time.

But I was reading Food and Wine the other day and a Catalan lamb stew recipe jumped out at me. You know how that is - it just literally jumped off the page with my scissors and demanded to be made. Whole Foods had some nice boneless shoulder roasts, at $5.99 a pound, so that was an easy decision. It’s New Zealand organic lamb, which is even better. Although I do like our Colorado lamb a lot too.

In case you don’t know about Catalan cooking - it’s an area of Spain that borders on France. And it contains the city of Barcelona (pronounced bar-tha-lona). Much of the area is mountainous. Lots of sheepherders. Therefore, lots of lamb, I’m certain. Lots of fish also since the lower triangle of Catalonia is the coastline containing Barcelona. My DH and I spent 4 days in Barcelona some years ago. All by ourselves. It’s a very cosmopolitain city - and European. The restaurants of Catalonia are legend, with many world-reknowned chefs having come from there.

Having grown up in San Diego, right on the Mexican border, I assumed Spanish food was much like Mexican. Altogether wrong I was about that. Spanish cuisine is based a lot on fish, actually, but with fairly simple preparation of things, and not a lot of seasoning.

• The core of Catalan cuisine still comes from the trio of ingredients introduced into the region by the Romans. The trinity of bread, wine and oil has been used ever since in daily life. In Medieval times Arab influences were also to leave their mark on Catalonia and classic Moorish combinations of sweet and sour can still be seen today in favourite dishes such as rabbit with pears and duck with fruit. (from ezinearticles.com)

What’s important from this culture to this recipe is the combination of meat and fruit. Very common there. One trip to France introduced me to the affinity of meat and prunes. Prunes are a very common filling for a whole roast chicken. So I was very open to the suggestion of prunes with lamb.

This stew was relatively easy to make - you do have to tediously brown the lamb chunks so they get browned on all sides (I made nearly a double recipe), and not crowded in the pan, either, or they steam rather than brown. But once that was done, it’s a very simple amount of preparation (onions, garlic, red wine, carrots, prunes and pine nuts). And a little sprinkling of ground ginger and ground cloves, plus some grated lemon zest.

It was absolutely delicious. I made it a day ahead, separated the meat from the broth to chill it, then was able to remove all the fat before reheating it and adding vegetables (I used carrots and parsnips). Confession time: I forgot to brown the pine nuts, but they added a nice little crunch to the finished dish. I liked the way they looked in the bowl. I added water to the stew when reheating in order to get the vegetables under liquid to finish cooking. The broth was very flavorful (helped, I am sure, by the overnight chilling) and it was nice to thin it a bit. I’ll definitely make this again.

Aromatic Braised Lamb with Prunes and Pine Nuts
Recipe: From Spanish Food & Wine (A Crash Course), Food & Wine, Oct. ‘07
Servings: 4
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder — cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves — minced
1 medium onion — finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
One 1-inch strip of lemon zest — minced
1 Pinch ground clove
1 Pinch ground ginger
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup boiling water
2 medium carrots — thinly sliced
[I added 3 parsnips -- peeled, sliced]
1/4 cup pine nuts
1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add half of the lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb.
2. Add the garlic and onion to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, 1/2 cup of water, lemon zest, cloves and ginger. Return the lamb to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the prunes with the boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the prunes with their cooking liquid and the carrots to the stew. Cover and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. In a medium skillet, cook the pine nuts over moderate heat, shaking the pan a few times, until the nuts are toasted, about 4 minutes. Let cool.
5. Season the stew with salt and pepper and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

Per Serving: 189 Calories; 15g Fat (74.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 36mg Sodium.

To print a PDF recipe, click HERE.

Ah, Shepherd’s Pie. A favorite of mine. But not something that particularly comes to mind when the temperature is in the 80’s, does it? I made a batch of this last winter and one lone casserole was still languishing in the freezer awaiting a night when I can’t cook. I’ve been diagnosed with a broken toe (1) and a very severe ankle sprain, and have been advised to use R.I.C.E.: R(est), I(ce), C(ompression), and E(levation). So, frozen Shepherd’s Pie was a godsend last night.

So, just what is Shepherd’s Pie? Traditionally it’s a ground or minced lamb dish with some vegetables, always some peas, a bit of gravy or sauce, topped with mashed potatoes and baked until hot. Its lineage is British. Cottage pie means it’s made with ground beef. Here’s a bit of history from HGTV (yes, really):

The magic of pies dates back to King Henry VIII. Legend has it that the British ruler was livid when he found out that one of his abbots was building an elaborate and expensive kitchen. The wise abbot took the wind out of the King’s anger by sending him a delicious, warm pie. Early pies were predominantly made with meat. Two early examples were shepherd’s pie and cottage pie. Shepherd’s pie was made with lamb and vegetables, and the cottage pie was made with beef and vegetable. Both are topped with potatoes.

I had Shepherd’s Pie when I visited England for the first time in 1977. Fell in love with it at first bite. It’s comfort food, to be sure. Kind of a casserole, if you will, but delicious. Great made with leftovers; in fact, I think that may be part of its origin too, since our Shepherd’s Pie doesn’t include a crust, just the thick layer of mashed potatoes. You have a leftover lamb roast and mashed potatoes? What better use of it than to make a leftovers Shepherd’s Pie.

So, some years back I read a recipe in Cooking Light for a jazzed-up version of the dish, and tried it. It added zucchini among other things and contained quite a few vegetables; probably more than the original version would have. It may have used ground chicken, but over the years I’ve reverted back to the lamb. But what’s unique about this is the addition of chipotle pepper AND the use of sweet potato and regular potatoes mixed together. I always - always - make a large batch of this because it’s a great dish to freeze. If you’re not so sure you’ll like it, just make a half a recipe and you’ll have sufficient for several people. If you like Shepherd’s Pie, then you’ll undoubtedly love this dish. If you’re not crazy about hot, spicy food, leave out the chipotle. It’ll be fine that way, just not quite as zippy. The sweet potatoes and Maui onion add a sweetness to the overall dish and some people are turned off by meat tasting sweet. If that’s your M.O., just use white potatoes and regular onions and you’ll have a traditional pie with a zip. I’ve served this to guests on more than one occasion, to great raves.

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
Recipe: adapted considerably from Cooking Light, 2002
Servings: 18 (makes 3 casseroles)
Preparation Time :1:30
FILLING:
2 1/2 pounds ground lamb — lean cut
2 whole sweet onions — Maui or other type, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrot — chopped
5 cloves garlic — minced
2 whole zucchini — minced
1 cup celery — chopped
1 1/2 cups mushroom — chopped
2 1/2 cups frozen peas — defrosted
1 cup chopped tomato — canned, in juice
1/3 cup fresh parsley — minced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt — or to taste

POTATO TOPPING:
2 whole chipotle chiles canned in adobo — minced
2 1/2 pounds potatoes — Yukon Gold preferred
1 pound yam — or sweet potatoes
1 cup milk
2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add chunks of the potatoes and yam; reduce heat and simmer until yam is done and remove those pieces. Continue boiling the potatoes until they are tender, then drain and set aside to cool slightly.
2. While the potatoes are simmering, in a large frying pan heat a little olive oil and add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for about 7-10 minutes. Cut up the zucchini, mushrooms and garlic and add to the pan, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until zucchini is barely done. Add the parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and cook for just a few minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside. Drain the frying pan and add the ground lamb and sauté it until it is thoroughly cooked. Drain the meat onto a paper towel if any grease needs to be blotted. Clean out the pan a little bit with paper towels, then add back the lamb and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, then add all of the vegetables and heat through.
3. Combine the yam and potatoes and using a mixer, whip them until there are no visible lumps. Add the milk, chipotle chiles and ricotta cheese and mix until just combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the lamb mixture equally into 3 casserole dishes. Spoon the potato mixture on top and using a spatula or flat spoon, push into the corners and more or less “seal” the potatoes to the sides of the casserole dish. This last step really isn’t required, but it keeps the meat and vegetable portion from drying out. You may, if you want, add some grated Cheddar cheese to the top of the potatoes, but it’s not really necessary.
4. If baking immediately, bake for 30 minutes at 400°. If you refrigerate the dish first, it will take nearly an hour to heat it through. Sprinkle the top with additional parsley when serving it. If heating leftovers, it doesn’t take all that long to heat - about 2 minutes in the microwave for a serving.
Serving Ideas : This casserole is easy for freezing ahead. Sometimes potatoes get a bit soft and runny when they’ve been frozen, but once they’ve been heated again they’ll be just fine. If you are freezing one or more of these casseroles, put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the potatoes and push it in so it’s touching everywhere, even in the corners. This will prevent freezer burn from sitting on the potatoes.
NOTES : Shepherd’s Pie has been a favorite of mine since my first trip to Britain in 1977, so anytime I find a new version of it I’m glad to try it. Historically, in Britain, the Pie is made with lamb, but it can be made with ground beef as well. If you use the very leanest beef, it won’t have a whole lot of flavor, unfortunately. I usually increase the amount of vegetables called for in this. If you use the Maui onions, you’ll notice a sweetness to the meat and vegetable section, so you may prefer to use traditional yellow or white onions instead. The original recipe called for just sweet potatoes on top, but I thought that might be a bit too sweet, so mixed them, using about half of each. That, combined with the chipotle chile, gives the potatoes a very rich color.

Per Serving 321 Calories; 17g Fat (46.6% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 275mg Sodium.

Printer-friendly recipe.