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Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.

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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):

Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin. Absolutely charming book about a woman in midlife, lonely, who raises bees, also makes unlikely friends. Heart-warming and very interesting about beekeeping.

A Postcard from Paris, Alex Brown. Really cute story. Dual time line, 1940s and present day about renovating an old apartment in Paris, things discovered.

Time of the Child, Niall Williams. Oh such a good book. Very small village in Ireland, 1960s. A baby is left on the doorstep. The town all whispers and helps. I listened to an interview of the author, which made me like him and his books even more.

Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy. If you like animals you’ll swoon. An old woman who really wants to die finds a tiny mouse in her house and befriends it and finds a reason to live. Utterly charming book.

The Forger’s Spell, Edward Dolnick. True story. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of Johannes Vermeer.

If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now, Christopher Ingraham. Could hardly put it down – about a journalist who takes on a challenge to move to small town in Minnesota and write about it. He expects to hate it and the people and place, but he doesn’t. Absolutely wonderful true story.

The River We Remember, William Kent Kreuger. 1950s, Minnesota. A murder and the aftermath. Could hardly put it down. Kreuger has such a vivid imagination and writing style.

How the Lights Gets In, Joyce Maynard. An older woman returns to New Hampshire to help care for her brain-injured son. Siblings and family, lots of angst and resentments.

The Filling Station, Vanessa Miller. Every American should read this book. A novelized retelling of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. Absolutely riveting.

The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry. Love this author. Based on a true story. A famous author simply vanishes, leaving her husband and daughter behind. She had invented a mystical language no one could translate. Present day, someone thinks he’s solved the riddle, contacts the family. Really interesting read.

The Girl from Berlin, Ronald Balson. Love anything about Tuscany. An elderly woman is being evicted from a villa there, with odd deed provenance. Two young folks go there to help unravel the mystery. Loved it.

The Island of the Colorblind, Oliver Sacks, M.D. Nonfiction. The dr is intrigued by a remote Pacific island where most of the inhabitants are colorblind. He also unravels a mystery on Guam of people born with a strange neurological problem. Medical mysteries unveiled. Very interesting.

The Bookbinder, Pip Williams. Post 1914 London. Two sisters work at a bookbindery. They’re told to not read the books. One does and one doesn’t. One has visions beyond her narrow world; the other does not. Eventually the one gets into Oxford. Lovely story.

The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue. 1895 on a train to Paris, a disaster happens. You’ll delve into the lives of many people who survived and died in the crash.

A Race to the Bottom of Crazy, Richard Grant. This is about Arizona. Author, wife and child move back to Arizona where they once lived. Part memoir, research, and reporting in a quest to understand what makes Arizona such a confounding and irresistible place.

The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers. A woman’s life turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.

A Place to Hide, Ronald Balson. 1939 Amsterdam, an ambassador has the ability to save the lives of many Jewish children. Heartwarming.

Homeseeking, Karissa Chen. Two young Chinese teens are deeply in love, but in China. Then their families are separated. Jump to current day and the two meet again in Los Angeles.

North River, Pete Hammill. He always writes such a good story. A doctor works diligently healing people from all walks of life. His wife and daughter left him years before. One day his 3-yr old grandson arrives on his doorstep.

A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey. A very messed-up family. Three adult children are given a home in Santa Cruz, Calif, but only if the siblings meet up and live in the house together. A very untypical scenario but makes for lots of messes.

Three Days in June, Anne Tyler. The usual Anne Tyler grit. Family angst. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was entertaining and very short.

Saved, Benjamin Hall. Author is a veteran war reporter. Ukraine, 2022, he nearly loses his life to a Russian strike. Riveting story – he survives, barely.

Grey Wolf, Louise Penny. Another Inspector Gamache mystery in Quebec. She is such an incredible mystery writer.

All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each. Could hardly put it down.

Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Winner of 2024 Booker Prize. I don’t usually like those, but I heard the author interviewed and she hooked me. This is not a normal book with a beginning, a story and an end. It’s several chapters of the day in the life of various astronauts at the ISS (Int’l Space Station). All fictional. She’s been praised by several real astronauts for “getting it” about space station everyday life.

The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins. An island off Scotland. Inaccessible except when the tide is out. Weird goings on. An artist. A present day mystery too.

Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger. A judge is murdered and a boy is missing. Riveting mystery.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Ricks Brunt. 1980s. A 14-yr old girl loses her beloved uncle. Yet a new friendship arises, someone she never knew about.

Four Treasures of the Sky, Jenny Zhang. 1880s, a young girl is kidnapped in China and brought to the United States. She survives with many hurdles in the path.

The Boy Who Fell out of the Sky, Ken Dornstein. Memoir, 1988. The author’s brother died in the PanAm flight that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland. A decade later he tries to solve “the riddle of his older brother’s life.”

Worse Care Scenario, T.J. Newman. Oh my. Interesting analysis of what could/might happen if a jet crashed into a nuclear plant. Un-put-downable.

Song of the Lark, Willa Cather. Complicated weave of a story about a young woman in about 1900, who has a gifted voice (singing) and about her journey to success, not without its ups and downs.

Crow Talk, Eileen Garvin. Charming story which takes place at a remote lake in Washington State, about a few people who inhabit it, the friendships made, but also revolving around the rescue of a baby crow.

The Story Collector, Evie Woods. Sweet story about some dark secrets from an area in Ireland, a bit magical, faerie life, but solving a mystery too.

A Sea of Unspoken Things, Adrienne Young. A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death. She goes to a small town in California to figure it out, to figure HIM out.

The King’s Messenger, Susanna Kearsley. 1600s England, King James. About one of his trusted “messengers,” and his relationship with a young woman also of “the court.” Lots of intrigue.

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, Emily Matchar. Interesting mystery in/around the area of the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Isola, Allegra Goodman. Hard to describe, survival story on an island in the 1600s.

Save the Date, Allison Raskin. Rom-com, witty, LOL funny. Clever.

The Sirens, Emilia Hart. Numerous time-lines, Australia. Mysteries abound, nightmares, abandoned baby, weird allergies.

Red Clay, Charles Fancher. LOVED this book. Mostly post-Civil War story about the lives of slaves in Alabama during Reconstruction.

Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo. Dual time line, 1946 and recent time. Love stories and a mystery.

Battle Mountain, C.J. Box. Another one of Box’s riveting mysteries. Love his descriptions of the land.

Something Beautiful Happened, Yvette Corporon. A memoir of sorts in Greece, tiny island of Erikousa, where the locals hid Jews during WWII. All elusive stories told by the author’s grandmother.

The Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian. 1860s Virginia, about a woman who saves the life of a Union soldier. Really good story.

Song of the Magpie, Louise Mayberry. Really interesting story about Australia back in the days when it was mostly a penal colony. Gritty strength of a woman trying to thrive with her farm.

The Boomerang, Robert Bailey. A thriller that will have you gripping the book. About a lot of secrets surrounding the president (fictional novel, remember) and his chief of staff and about cancer. A cure. Such a good story.

Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. Really interesting memoir of a woman driven to succeed in the restaurant business. She worked for Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. Gritty stories.

Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green. Maybe not a book for everyone. A real deep dive into the deadly tuberculosis infection, its history. I heard the author interviewed and found the book very interesting.

The Book Lovers Library, Madeline Martin. Fascinating read about Boots’ drug stores’ lending library. And the people who worked in them.

The Arrivals, Meg Mitchell Moore. LOL funny, about a middle-aged couple whose children (and their various family members) return to the family home and the chaos that ensues.

My Life as a Silent Movie, Jesse Lee Kercheval. About grief. A big move to Paris, finding herself a new life with a new set of real blood family.

Escape, Carolyn Jessop. Another memoir about a woman really in bondage in Utah, Mormon plural marriage.

 

Tasting Spoons

My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.

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Posted in Grilling, Lamb, on July 12th, 2010.

Sandwiches? Well, I use that term loosely. They were gorgeous, thick double baby lamb chops, seasoned with a Moroccan rub, grilled, served on/in sangak bread (it could be pita also) with two side relishes – one a tomato and the other shallots. We did end up cutting the meat off the bone and cutting the little fillets into slices and laying them in the bread you can see there underneath them, with the delish relishes. The wraps were a little unwieldy and drippy, but oh—so very good. Then after our plates were nearly slicked clean we picked up the lamb rib bones and gnawed away to get the last of that grilled protein.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Lamb, on April 20th, 2010.

Oh yes, yummy this was. When we got to our second home in the desert last week, after eating out for more than a week, I was looking forward to making a home cooked meal. I enjoy glancing through the cookbooks I keep there since they don’t get as much use as the ones at home, and some of them I’ve not explored very much. As I looked through Marcella Hazan’s book, Marcella’s Italian Kitchen, this recipe talked to me. Lamb shoulder, onions, braised, baked, combined with cannellini beans with some pungent raw garlic and chopped parsley on top. Yep. Sounded like a winner, and it was.

We visited Bristol Farms (an upscale market that has a great meat department, with great expensive prices for everything on their shelves). But I wanted good, meaty lamb shoulder and I wasn’t even sure any of the supermarkets would HAVE lamb shoulder. Anyway, I made the cannellini beans myself rather than use canned. No reason why, just that I had time to do them, and I prefer the texture of homemade simmered beans rather than the almost mushy canned ones.

The recipe is relatively simple, really. The lamb pieces are floured and browned in vegetable oil, then set aside. A generous amount of thinly sliced onions are sautéed, then you add some white wine and beef broth, with tomato paste and fresh sage. That’s about it. The cannellini beans were made separately, with some garlic and fresh sage added to the water. Then, in Marcella’s recipe she said adding the raw minced garlic as a garnish is an important element – not cooked garlic – but the raw stuff. Gives it some bite. You can, if you study the photo at the top, see a few little snips of garlic. I saved a few of the cannellini beans out to add to the top of the finished dish – just because I wanted a bit more contrast in the photo. The mixed-in beans you’ll notice are darker with the extra-tasty sauce. Don’t skimp on the salt – the beans require a good measure of it. Do taste the finished dish and perhaps sprinkle a bit of salt all over the top. Delicious, all of it.
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Braised Lamb Stew with Cannellini Beans

Recipe By: Adapted from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen
Serving Size: 6 (not huge portions)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 pounds lamb shoulder, bone-in, cut in 3-inch pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups onions, sliced thin
6 fresh sage leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup beef broth, (use a concentrate with water)
1 1/2  cups cannellini beans, dry
4 cups water
2 whole garlic cloves, sliced in half
3 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish for meat:
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1. Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to cover the bottom completely and turn on the heat to medium high.
2. When the oil is hot, dredge the lamb pieces in the flour, one by one, and add gently to the pan. Do not crowd the pieces. Brown the meat on all sides, then transfer the to a plate, adding more lamb pieces, until all the lamb has been browned. Pour off the grease but keep the fond that’s on the bottom – add that to the stew once it’s mixed and ready to go in the oven.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Choose a large, lidded pot (large enough to hold all the meat and the beans), and preferably one that can go from oven to rangetop. Into this large pot add the olive oil, sliced onions, and sage. Turn heat to medium and cook onions, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it becomes a light brown (but not burned).
5. Add the meat, turning it 2-3 times and heat until the meat begins to sizzle, then add salt, some grindings of ground black pepper and the white wine.
6. Meanwhile, dissolve the tomato paste in the beef broth and set aside. Simmer at medium-high heat the onions and wine and when almost all of the wine has boiled off, add the beef broth mixture and the fond from the frying pan. Bring back to a simmer, then cover and place the pot in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, removing it every 30 minutes and stirring it.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the beans: Add the beans to a stockpot, add water to cover and bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit for an hour. Drain beans, then add twice as much water as you have beans (I’ve estimated at 4 cups, but it might be more). Add the garlic cloves and sage leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a low simmer for about an hour, until the beans are just barely cooked through. Don’t over cook them or they’ll be mushy.
8. Drain the beans and taste for seasoning (salt and pepper). You’ll find these need more salt than you think. Pour the beans into the lamb stew pot and gently stir. Cover and bake another 15 minutes, until the mixture is warmed through. Remove any of the bones that have loosened completely and discard.
9. Pour the stew out onto (or into) a large heated platter or bowl and sprinkle top with the raw garlic and the chopped parsley.

A year ago: Chewy-Crispy Choc Chip Cookies
Two years ago: Pork Tenderloin with Figs & Port Wine

Posted in Grilling, Lamb, on March 10th, 2010.

greek leg of lamb

Awhile back I made this recipe, but decided to alter it just a bit from the last version. I wanted a pronounced lemon flavor, and wanted the lamb to be utterly tender, so I marinated the meat for 24 hours, turning the bag a couple of times during that period. I used a larger leg of lamb (Australian boneless, from Costco), so have changed the recipe to accommodate that. If you have a smaller roast, just reduce the marinade quantities some. The recipe is very forgiving. The lemon juice, however, helps to tenderize the meat, so it needs contact with the protein for a longer period. Steven Raichlen’s recipe is a good one, and I merely enhanced it, I believe. It comes from his book, The Barbecue! Bible, a book I turn to over and over again for grilling ideas.

The result? The meat was utterly tender and very tasty with the oregano rub and the hint of lemon. The lemon did not overpower it at all. I used our Meyer lemons, since we have so many of them right now. You have lemons? Use this recipe for a lovely meal. If you don’t have a rotisserie, just grill the roast over heat until it’s brown, then away from the heat (indirect cooking method) until it’s cooked through to your liking. Rare? Take it out at 140. Medium? Remove at 160. Our roast was not an even thickness, so we removed it at 160 and the center was still nicely red/medium rare. Delicious. The leftovers will go into my favorite Shepherd’s Pie with Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. A real treat and one Dave and I always enjoy.
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Rotisseried Leg of Lamb with Lemons and Butter

Recipe By: Adapted from Steven Raichlen’s, The Barbecue Bible
Serving Size: 10

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

6 pounds boneless leg of lamb — butterflied
MARINADE:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 whole lemons — one halved, the other sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter — room temp
1/2 cup olive oil
BASTING MIXTURE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano — crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. MARINADE: Combine the salt, white 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 halved lemon and spread all over the meat. Place in a Ziploc plastic bag with the olive oil and sliced lemon, seal well and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning it 3-4 times. Allow it to sit out at room temp for an hour before proceeding.
2. Drain off and discard the marinade, including the lemon slices. Blot the roast with paper towels. Rub the surface of the lamb with the 4 tablespoons of butter (if it’s at room temp it really does spread easily). Fold the lamb back into its original cylindrical shape and tie it at 1-inch intervals with butcher’s string.
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. Add another generous sprinkling of the spice mixture. Attach the spit to the rotisserie mechanism, cover and let the meat start rotating. Reduce heat to medium (about 350°).
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 tented lightly with foil. Remove string and slice.
Per Serving: 561 Calories; 35g Fat (57.6% calories from fat); 56g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 189mg Cholesterol; 743mg Sodium.

A year ago: Pork Ragu on Pasta
Two years ago: Triple Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce

Posted in Lamb, on June 20th, 2009.

lamb shepherds pie

Likely there’s not a shepherd’s pie I’ve met that I haven’t liked. This one, using eggplant, is no exception. Our daughter-in-law Karen made this the other night and it’s really delicious. The recipe came from a recent issue of Bon Appétit (March ‘09), credited to Jeanne Thiel Kelley. I watched Karen make it – using well-trimmed lamb pieces, canned tomatoes, and a fairly healthy amount of cubed eggplant. It was simmered for an hour with a number of other items, until tender, then later she mounded it with the mashed potatoes and baked it. It’s a Greek-inspired version (hence the eggplant, oregano seasoning and kasseri cheese).

The recipe indicated it would serve 8-10, and it probably would if you had a nice salad on the side.  Shepherd’s Pie really doesn’t need much else to go with it since it’s got all the food groups covered. The flavors had fully melded in this, and Karen kindly let us have another serving to take home (photographed above, so not as beautiful as the original dish). Thanks, Karen!
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Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe: Recipe by Jeanne Thiel Kelley in Bon Appetit, 3/09
Servings: 8-10

Filling:
1 1/2 pounds eggplant — unpeeled, cut into 3/4-to 1-inch cubes
Coarse kosher salt
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil — (or more) divided
2 pounds lamb shoulder — boneless, well-trimmed
All purpose flour
3 cups chopped onions
1 cup dry white wine
1 can canned tomatoes — diced in juice (28 ounce)
3 cups beef broth — (preferably organic)
8 whole garlic cloves — chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Topping:
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes — peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter — (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves — minced
3/4 cup whole milk
5 ounces kasseri cheese — coarsely grated (packed-1 1/4 cups)

1. For filling: Scatter eggplant on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse eggplant and pat very dry.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
3. Sprinkle lamb generously with coarse salt and pepper, then dust with flour to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add half of lamb. Sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining lamb.
4. Add 1 additional tablespoon oil to same pot, if needed. Add onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until very tender, about 10 minutes (bottom of pot will be very dark). Add wine to pot. Increase heat and boil until wine evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, garlic, and oregano and bring to boil. Add lamb with any accumulated juices. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer until lamb is very tender and gravy thickens slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir in eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill.
5. For topping: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add milk and bring to simmer.
7. Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add milk mixture and mash potatoes until just smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Drop potatoes over filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering completely.
8. Bake pie until filling is heated through and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.
Per Serving: 684 Calories; 44g Fat (59.0% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 93mg Cholesterol; 778mg Sodium.

A year ago: Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Almonds (for afternoon tea)

Posted in Grilling, Lamb, on June 16th, 2009.

lamb chops grilled

Can you really see the chop? Nicely charred on the outside. Tender and juicy on the inside. Perfectly grilled to 120 degrees F. Covered in a lovely mixture of herbs, garlic and olive oil.

herbs for lambThe herbs, L-R: Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage leaves underneath and some oregano.

lamb chops rawThere they are raw – with the herb mixture packed on. Ready for the grill. These were ever-so easy to make (took about 10 minutes to cut the herbs, chop and combine, another minute to slather them on the meat). My DH grilled them for 2 minutes per side over high heat, then put them off on a medium-low burner for about 8-9 minutes, until the meat thermometer registered 120. We left them tented with foil for 5 minutes and devoured them. The chops are available at our Costco – lovely 1 1/2 inch thick rib chops from New Zealand. Seven of them were about $16. We ate two apiece and there’s enough left for me to have one and my DH another two at another meal.
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Grilled Rib Lamb Chops with Herb Rub

Recipe: Adapted from a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated: The
Best Recipe, Grilling & Barbecue
Servings: 4

HERB MIXTURE:
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary — minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage — minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme — minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano — minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole garlic clove — minced
LAMB:
2 pounds lamb rib chops
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Herbs: Mince all the fresh herbs well, then add garlic and olive oil (just enough to hold the herbs together).
2. Salt and pepper the meat.
3. Apply a teaspoon or so of herbs to both sides of each rib chop. Allow the meat to sit out at room temp for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat gas grill as follows: heat one burner to high and another burner to medium-low.
5. Rub the grill with a bit of olive oil applied to a paper towel. Place ribs on high heat side for about 2 minutes per side, just until you’ve achieved nice grill marks.
6. Move chops to the medium-low side and continue grilling for about 7-9 minutes, until done to your preference. For medium-rare, remove at 120. For medium, about 130.
7. Keep chops on a heated plate lightly tented with foil, for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
Per Serving: 847 Calories; 77g Fat (83.2% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 171mg Cholesterol; 132mg Sodium.

A year ago: Flank Steak with an Orange Marinade
Two years ago: Roasted Poblano Asiago Soup (a southwestern treat – one of my fav’s)

Posted in Lamb, on May 29th, 2009.

greek lamb flatbread feta You like this one?

grilled flatbread feta lambOr this one?

There’s a whole lot of picture-taking fun going on at my house these days. What with my new camera and all. We had friends over for dinner and I set the plate on the corner of our island with the evening sunshine glowing through the window. Perfect shot (the second one above). I still have to work on the focus – the front edge of the bread was not where I wanted the focus to be. I’ll get it eventually.

This recipe is so different. I had this at a charity cooking class a few weeks ago, but wasn’t able to get a photo of it because it was dark (we were outdoors) by the time they served it. But it was SO good. The dish is not all that hard to do – you marinate the meat overnight (olive oil, red wine, oodles of garlic, lots of lemon zest and juice, some fresh oregano and rosemary sprigs), buy some raw pizza dough (Trader Joe’s sells it that way if you don’t want to make your own), and make the cheese slather (Feta, mayo, yogurt, sour cream and a bunch of garlic).

Now is where the story of this dish gets funny – do as I SAY, not as I DID. I forgot to re-read the recipe. Forgot to re-read the part that says you bake the lamb in the oven for 12 hours (yes, really, 12 hours) at 200. Covered in olive oil. So as it approached dinnertime, our friends had arrived, and I’ve removed the meat from the marinade and I’m thinking we’re grilling the meat. Then I glanced at the recipe. Oops. Wrong! Oh well, we’ll just have to grill it anyway. It took about 20 minutes to grill the meat to 125 internal temp and while it was allowed to rest on the cutting board, my DH put the pizza dough ovals on the grill. I’d rolled and pressed them out into about 8-inch long pieces, using my rolling pin. The ovals were spread with some olive oil on both sides, then onto the hot grill they went. Took about 2 minutes to be softly grilled, then they’re turned over and you spread on the Feta cheese slather on top. Cook another minute just so the cheese slather is heated through and you’re done. Remove to a piping hot plate. Meanwhile, slice thin pieces of the lamb leg and pile it onto the flatbread, garnish with some red chile flakes if you’d like (I used Italian parsley instead), maybe some salt and pepper, and it’s ready to serve.

greek lamb narrow

So that’s what I did the other night. But, a few days later, with the leftovers at hand, I decided to try to do the long baking of the meat, per the recipe. Since the meat was already cooked and pink in the middle, I figured half as much baking would do it. What was left fit into a Teflon-coated bread pan, and it was covered with olive oil as directed. So I ended up baking it at 200 for 6 hours. You pour off the olive oil after baking. The meat was so tender you could cut it with a fork. Not a bit of the oil had really penetrated the meat, but it insulated the meat from drying out during the long time in the oven, I suppose. I sliced the meat into thin pieces while Dave grilled some more of the pizza/flatbread on the barbecue. We were a bit more careful with how thick the dough was (a little thicker this time and obviously smaller – about 4 x 8 inches), added more of the Feta cheese slather than we did the first time, then sprinkled the meat all over it.

This time, though, I made a bit of a detour – I mixed up a small arugula salad (just an oil and vinegar dressing on it) and arranged it on top, sprinkled on some fresh diced tomatoes and a bit of fresh basil. And served it. Oh my goodness yes, it was delish. Definitely better than the first round. Since the marinade was still okay I stuck it in the freezer and can probably re-use it a second time. It was never left out at room temp, so it should be safe to do that. I probably could have saved the oil from the baking too (it took more than I’d thought) if I filtered it, but I tossed that out. The hardest thing about this dish was rolling out the pizza dough. Darned, but it can be resilient, not wanting to spread out. I certainly haven’t perfected tossing dough in the air.
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Spicy Greek Confit Leg of Lamb with Feta Cheese Slather on a Pizza (Flatbread)

Recipe: Alan Greeley, chef/owner of the Golden Truffle, Costa Mesa, CA
Servings: 10

LAMB:
5 pounds boneless leg of lamb — flattened
750 milliliters red wine — (not pinot noir)
8 whole shallots — peeled
25 cloves garlic — minced
8 sprigs rosemary
8 sprigs oregano
3 whole jalapeno peppers — sliced
5 whole lemons — both juice AND zest
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups olive oil
FETA CHEESE SLATHER:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream
2 cups feta cheese — crumbled
2 tablespoons garlic — minced (must use fresh cloves)
4 whole lemons — juice only
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper — to taste
PIZZA:
2 pounds raw pizza dough — store bought or freshly made
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes — optional
TOPPING: (not in the original recipe)
8 cups arugula
2 medium tomatoes — cored, seeded, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil — sliced finely
Tossed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing

LAMB: 1. Using the palm of your hand, smash the leg of lamb so the marinade is able to soak in. In a mixing bowl combine the wine, garlic, rosemary, oregano, jalapenos, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, olive oil and black pepper. Mix well. Place the lamb in an ovenproof casserole dish, add marinade and give it a good massage. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Next day, remove lamb and discard the marinade. Return lamb and shallots to casserole dish and cover with melted lard or olive oil (the chef said the lard will make the dish taste better – uh, yea). Make sure the fat or oil is covering the lamb by at least 1 inch.
3. Cover casserole dish with 3 or 4 layers of plastic wrap, sealing tightly, then cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil. It is VERY important to seal it well. Place in a 200 degree oven and cook overnight (12 hours).
4. Remove from oven. Allow to sit for 1 hour, then remove lamb from the fat and drip dry. Lamb can be eaten as is or shredded for the pizza. Once shredded, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or lemon. If making pizza, keep warm.
FETA CHEESE SLATHER: 1. Place all ingredients in food processor and mix well. Chill. Can be made 24 hours ahead.
PIZZA: 1. Roll out pizza dough to a thin shape. At the event I went to, the pizza was in elongated ovals (about 4 inches by 10 inches). Brush both sides of pizza with olive oil. Brush a medium-hot outdoor grill with oil, then place pizza directly on the grill. Brush top side with more oil, if needed. Turn pizza over and cook briefly. If the pizza is thin, it doesn’t take long to cook through, so watch that it doesn’t turn into dry crackers. Turn pizza back to first side and add the feta cheese slather over the entire flatbread. Remove to a serving platter, add the hot lamb, then decorate with fresh oregano leaves and red chile flakes, if desired. Cut into pieces and serve. Or serve with arugula salad, chopped tomatoes and fresh basil on top.
Per Serving (it includes the marinade, so these figures are way off): 1361 Calories; 116g Fat (77.4% calories from fat); 51g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 161mg Cholesterol; 3243mg Sodium.

Posted in Lamb, Miscellaneous, Pork, on April 15th, 2009.

mustard-sauce-for-ham

Since we were invited to our son’s home for Easter, I didn’t have to cook much. We went to an 8 am worship service, then helped setup, serve and cleanup for a brunch to our church’s 120-voice choir. We had a few minutes of respite before going to our son’s home for dinner. I provided a 10-pound bone-in ham, from the 4-H pig we bought last summer. It was fabulous. Everyone there who ate ham ( a few people didn’t like ham) raved about it. I also made the delicious Mustard Sauce I prepared last year when we bought a Kurobuta ham from David Rosengarten from Idaho. The sauce was outstanding (a David Rosengarten recipe; actually from his wife’s grandmother, I believe it was) and very easy to make. I will mention that I took the photo with the chilled sauce (just making it look pretty for all of you), so it was thicker than it is once warmed. So don’t be dismayed if the warmed sauce doesn’t look like the above.

Karen (our daughter-in-law) also made a huge stuffed leg of lamb. She’d made it before, she said, and had marked it as a keeper. Indeed it was. It’s stuffed with Italian sausage, fresh spinach, Pecorino cheese and pine nuts. The recipe came from a Today show episode with the Scotto family.  I forgot to take along my camera, otherwise I’d have a good photo of it. Karen’s mother took some photos, though, so eventually I’ll upload a picture of the actual roast or the slices. The lamb was scrumptious. I’ll make it myself – next time we want lamb.

We also enjoyed some great appetizers, dips, veggies, including several pounds of asparagus, and chocolate cupcakes with a coconut, almond & brown sugar broiled topping, and a sensational white sponge layer cake with glazed fresh fruit on top, provided by Karen’s sister Janice.
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Roasted Leg of Spring Lamb Stuffed With
Italian Sausage, Spinach,
Pecorino and Pine Nuts

Recipe: the Scotto family, owners of New York’s restaurant Fresco (via Today show, 2005)
Servings: 6

TO PREPARE STUFFING:
1 pound Italian sausage — loose sweet type (or remove casings)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shallots — diced
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 pound spinach — par boiled, squeezed dry and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano — chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint — chopped
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup pine nuts — toasted
1/4 cup Pecorino cheese — grated
1 whole egg — lightly beaten
TO PREPARE LEG OF LAMB:
1 whole boneless leg of lamb — (5-1/2-pound) shank end, well trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1. For stuffing: Place ground sausage in a medium size stainless bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy skillet or sauté pan, stir in shallots and garlic, cook until transparent. Add chopped spinach, oregano and mint, mix thoroughly. Cook mixture until all is dry and then add mixture to the ground sausage, mix again. Next add bread crumbs, pine nuts and pecorino cheese and beaten egg. Mix thoroughly and set aside to be stuffed into lamb.
2. For leg of lamb: Place the boneless lamb leg, cut side up, on the work surface. Butterfly meat by cutting into, but not through, the thickest part of the muscle. Open up the meat and spread stuffing directly down the middle of the leg. Reshape the lamb leg. Fold over the meat to enclose the filling. Use kitchen string to tie up the roast crosswise, to secure stuffing and its incision. Rub the lamb with olive oil; season generously with salt, pepper and rosemary.
3. Transfer meat to a roasting pan and roast in preheated oven until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 130 degrees F for medium rare (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes). After lamb has been removed from oven, let meat rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Per Serving: 460 Calories; 38g Fat (74.5% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 120mg Cholesterol; 854mg Sodium.

A year ago: Cauliflower Puree (it’s really good)

Posted in Grilling, Lamb, on March 21st, 2009.

lamb-cherry-sauce

It isn’t often that you can create a marinade and use that same marinade as a sauce. It could be done more, I suppose, except that often the ingredients in a marinade contain things that you wouldn’t want in a finishing sauce (things that tenderize meat, like a brine, or beer, vinegar, other acidic citrus juices, etc.). In this case, once the boneless leg of lamb was marinated in the cherry and Merlot marinade, that same marinade was simmered (to make sure the raw-meat bacteria were boiled), pureed and used as a delicious sauce.

This is another recipe from the cooking class I attended last week at Great News in San Diego, and taught by Phillis Carey. It’s for recipes like this one that my friend Cherrie and I keep going back to Phillis’ classes, since she comes up with the most interesting food combinations. I’d never have thought to use frozen cherries as the basis for a marinade. I’m glad she did!

So, you combine the marinade (cherries, Merlot, shallot, garlic, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, oil, marjoram, basil and soy sauce) and marinate for 4-12 hours. If you’re fortunate enough to have a Costco near you, pick up one of their boneless legs of lamb. Such a bargain! After removing the lamb from its covering you spread it out – stretch it out, if you will – and fix the thick parts. By its very nature, the boneless lamb has a couple of thick knobby parts, and if you were to grill it as-is, those knobs would be raw inside and the thinner parts would dried up if you continued to cook it. Answer? You make some moderately deep slits (not clear through) across the knobby parts to kind of flatten them. Allows the thicker parts to cook more evenly. You’ll still have some parts of the lamb that will be more medium to medium-well cooked, but the thicker parts will be perfectly (to me, anyway) grilled to medium-rare.

If you use a meat thermometer (recommended), roast the meat to 130, remove and tent the meat while you finish up the dinner, then cut thinner slices and drizzle with the cherry-Merlot sauce that you’ve boiled down. Phillis actually served this lamb with a dried cherry-pecan relish (creme de cassis, water, sugar, dried tart cherries, pecans and orange zest) but the cherry-Merlot sauce was all I wanted on my portion. If you’re interested in the relish, go to the bottom of the recipe and you’ll find it.
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Butterflied Leg of Lamb with
Cherry-Merlot (Marinade and) Sauce

Recipe: Phillis Carey, author & instructor
Servings: 8 (maybe more)

MARINADE:
2 whole shallots — chopped
3 cloves garlic — minced
2 cups red wine — preferably Merlot (a fruity-type red)
1 pound frozen cherries — (bagged) defrosted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram — chopped
2 teaspoons fresh basil — chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce

5 pounds leg of lamb — boneless, butterflied
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan combine the shallots, garlic, red wine and cherries. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced about half (about one cup remaining). Add brown sugar and continue cooking, stirring often, about 3-5 more minutes. Place mixture in blender (or food processor) and puree until almost smooth. Transfer this mixture to a bowl to cool, then add vinegar, oil, marjoram, basil and soy sauce.
2. Remove leg of lamb from its wrapping and stretch it out. If there are any very thick areas (there usually are) make a slit (sideways, not lengthwise) about halfway through the meat to help make the meat more evenly flat. (Those thick areas will cook much slower, so you’re trying to even out the thickness as much as possible.) Place marinade in a bowl or a large plastic bag and add the lamb. Squish the bag to make sure all the lamb is in contact with the marinade. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 4 hours, and up to 12 hours.
3. The meat can be broiled or grilled. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Meat should be cooked about 6 inches from the heat source. Use a meat thermometer, if possible. Grill (fat side down, first) using medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes per side (brushing with the marinade – see note in #4). Lamb should be cooked to 130 degrees for medium. Remove lamb and tent with foil for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile bring the marinade to a boil and simmer gently for about 3-5 minutes. Remove about 1/4 cup of it and use to brush on the lamb when you turn it over. Slice meat in fairly thin pieces, and drizzle with the glaze on each slice.
Per Serving: 682 Calories; 45g Fat (63.4% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 155mg Cholesterol; 252mg Sodium.

Dried Cherry Pecan Relish: 1/4 cup creme de cassis, 1/4 cup water, 1-2 T. sugar, 1 cup dried tart cherries, 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans, 2 tsp orange zest. Cook creme de cassis, water and sugar in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Add the dried cherries, reduce heat, cover and simmer until cherries are plump, about 5 minutes. Mix in pecans and zest. Season lightly with salt and transfer to a bowl. Cool. Keeps, covered, in refrigerator, for one week. Sauce would also be good on pork or chicken. Phillis’ recipe called for 1/4 cup sugar, but I suggest you start with less and add more if needed.

Posted in Lamb, on November 17th, 2008.

lamb burgers stuffed with goat cheese and with a yogurt-cucumber sauce
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.
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Goat Cheese-Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

Recipe: From Steve Raichlen, the primalgrill.org
Servings: 4
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.

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.
Per Serving: 956 Calories; 62g Fat (59.0% calories from fat); 49g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 169mg Cholesterol; 1290mg Sodium.

Posted in Lamb, on November 7th, 2008.

mint pesto crusted rack of lamb pomegranate reduction
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.
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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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