Lemon Lamb Chops

Every Thursday night at our house is date night.

Before you get too excited, all that means is we cook a good dinner, open a bottle of wine and settle in on the couch for Thursday night TV. We try not to make other plans or social engagements so we can have Thursday evening to unwind from the work week and relax before our weekend begins. It's glorious, really. 

This is Curtis’ favorite lamb dish. So even though we’ve made it several times, I felt like I should make it again and post here since March is the month of lamb. And it’s our favorite for a reason, so easy and so delicious that it must be shared!

The best part of this recipe is that you cut (even better if you can get your husband to cut it for you) and marinate the rack of lamb a day in advance, so on the day of all you have to do is grill each little chop for about 2 ½ minutes per side. It’s perfect recipe for company or a Thursday night date at home!

I served it with coconut rice and spinach sautéed with garlic and balsamic vinegar. Then we settled in for all our favorite TV shows!

Note: This recipe came from my mom (who got it from epicurious) and she serves it with Tzaziki sauce.

Lamb Chops with Lemon

3 large shallots, minced (I just used a regular onion)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
6 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
24 lamb rib chops (from a rack of lamb (I bought ours at Costco), cut between bones into individual chops)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon salt

Black pepper  

Fresh oregano sprigs (for garnish)

Directions: 

I either chop or blend all the above ingredients and marinate the lamb overnight (easy, peasy).

But here’s what the real recipe says to do:

Mix minced shallots, chopped mint, chopped oregano, minced garlic, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt in small bowl. Press 1 rounded teaspoon shallot-herb mixture onto eye of each lamb chop. Turn chops over onto large rimmed baking sheet. Press remaining shallot- herb mixture onto eye of each chop. Cover lamb chops with sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl until slightly thickened and well blended. Season lightly with salt and generously with freshly ground black pepper. Spoon oil mixture lightly over chops. Turn chops over and spoon remaining oil mixture over. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill lamb chops to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer lamb chops to platter. Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs and serve.

Bon Appétit
April 2011
by Michael Symon

Lamb Cassoulet

I’m taking our lamb recipes from Greece, northwest to the country of France.

And I will admit as much as I loved this dish, I’ve had a ridiculous craving for Greek food ever since I read Amber and Missy’s posts. I’m going to have to satisfy that craving sometime very soon! But I chose some serious comfort food which was fitting since it’s currently snowing in my part of the world. I love all cuts of lamb, but it’s hard to beat shanks: tender pieces of meat falling off a big bone and drenched in a fabulous sauce.

Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat, pork skin (not mine) and white beans (thank you, Wikipedia). And I believe it traditionally has bread crumbs over the top. 

I found this shortcut version and kind of took the crock pot approach (in a Dutch-oven) and just started throwing in whatever sounded good, so sorry for my lack of measurements. The few “real” cassoulet recipes I looked at use dried beans (hence the extra long, slow cooking) but I just used two cans of white beans. I think my broth would have been much thicker had I gone the traditional route, but this was super easy and delicious!

I served the juicy lamb over mascarpone cheese polenta and we had a kale and spinach salad on the side. And of course we had some good red wine to wash it down.

The cassoulet smelled amazing as it was cooking! I started to get really hungry while waiting the 3 hours for it to cook. As we were checking the shanks to see if they were falling off the bone, Curtis suggested using the leftover veggies, beans, lentils and broth to make minestrone soup. So on night #2, we had a completely different meal – it was brilliant!

We also really love rack of lamb (I’ll try to get around to making our favorite recipe and posting about it as well) but my other go-to lamb dish is buying lamb shanks from Costco, pre-marinated and pre-cooked. When we have company over, I throw them in my Dutch-oven on low on the stove top add in some fresh herbs and then act like I made them from scratch. Works like a charm every time!

My dirty little secret. Thank you, Costco.

Here is a picture of my raw lamb shanks just to prove I really did make this recipe from scratch (this time)!

PCC lamb shanks, $7.99 / lb.

(Short Cut Version of) Lamb Cassoulet over Mascarpone Cheese Polenta

1. Preheat the oven to 300
2. Heat ghee or high heat oil in a Dutch oven or oven-safe dish and sear the shanks on each side, about two minutes per side. I only made 2 lamb shanks, but you could probably fit up to 6 in a pan. Set the shanks aside.
3. Turn off the heat and add to the pan (this is where you can use whatever mix of veggies, herbs and liquid that sound good to you) :

-          1 can tomato paste

-          Carrots, chopped

-          Celery, chopped

-     Lamb shanks

-          Lentils (I used pre-cooked from Trader Joe's - they’re a super food!)

-          2 cans white beans
-          Fresh rosemary and thyme

-          1 box beef broth

-          Red wine (just because we had some on tap, shhh! Don’t tell Curtis)

-          Garlic (lots)

-          Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (I always save my rinds to flavor soups and dishes like this)

-          Salt and Pepper, to taste

-     And I meant to throw in a chopped onion as well, but forgot. 

      Put the lid on the pot (or cover with foil) and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for approximately 2 1/2 hours or until lamb is tender. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. Sever over mascarpone cheese polenta.

Mascarpone Cheese Polenta

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

I cut this recipe in half since there were just two of us.

4 cups milk

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup polenta (coarsely ground yellow cornmeal)

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup Mascarpone cheese

Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating on top

Bring the milk to a boil. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Very gradually, add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Add the salt and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a heavy wooden until thick and creamy, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the mascarpone to the polenta and adjust the seasoning to taste. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. This polenta recipe rocks, it is so creamy and delicious!

Night #2

Lamb Broth Minestrone Soup

Bring lamb broth with veggies, beans and lentils to a boil and then turn down the heat so the soup is simmering (it may need to be thinned with some water).  Add tortellini, kale and chicken sausage to the broth.

Cook until the pasta is done. Serve with some good crusty bread for dipping!

Quick Moussaka

First of all, who knew Martha Stewart made any "quick" versions of anything? Second, thank you Martha for this fabulous version of Quick Moussaka!

I had planned on making some sort of lamb chop something'er other but then I stumbled upon Martha's quick lamb recipes after a Google search and this one stood out to me. It sort of feels like I cheated using ground lamb, however, I'm really glad I discovered this dish. It's basically a marriage of two awesomes: the meat mixture is sooo good after all the spices have been added and it simmers together. I could eat it out of the pan. Then you add the ricotta/feta cheese mixture and suddenly there's an event happening in your mouth!

I've posted Martha's original recipe but as for my modifications: I ended up using more feta, almost double. And I used a half less onion. And since I love to just grab and throw minced garlic out of a jar; pretty sure I used double or triple the original amount. Other than that, I stuck to this recipe and it was almost perfect.

Next time I will cut up the eggplant chunks even smaller. I love eggplant which was a big reason why I chose this recipe but when the chunks are too big, they overpower each bite. They become like the other woman in this marriage of two awesomes, dividing the flavor instead of allowing them to work in harmony.

Okay, before this gets any weirder, here she is:

Martha's (Quick) Moussaka!

Ingredients

Butter, for baking dish
1 large eggplant (2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
7 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (9 ounces) ricotta cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (4 ounces) feta cheese, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 4-quart ovenproof dish. On a baking sheet, toss eggplant with 6 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven until soft and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to prepared dish, spreading in an even layer.

In a large saucepan, warm remaining tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ground meat; cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in drained tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, crushing tomatoes with the edge of a spoon, 15 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the eggplant.

Heat broiler. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, feta, egg, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of salt. Pour mixture over the casserole, and spread evenly to the edges. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

I'm tempted to make the meat mixture again and try it over noodles or rice next time.

This guy had three helpings! Yet, note the bottle of Crystal hot sauce next to his bowl... 

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Pulled Lamb Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki and Greek Potatoes

I was totally freaked out when Megan chose Lamb as March’s Ingredient of the Month.  I was raised in a mostly vegetarian family and although I am not currently a vegetarian I have absolutely no knowledge when it comes to cooking anything other than fish or chicken.  As soon as I read “Lamb” I was transported back in time to a BBQ we had in which we had invited my friend Heather over for dinner and she had kindly contributed the steaks.  I over-cooked them.  I am still embarrassed.

That’s my fear, really: that I will have a beautiful piece of meat in which a creature’s life has been sacrificed and I will not do it justice.  And I couldn’t bring myself to mess up a piece of Lamb because there was even more on the line this time; I mean, let’s face it: Lambs are way cuter than cows.  And for some reason that means something to me. 

While researching Lamb recipes I came across a recipe for “Pulled Lamb” made in a Crock pot and I thought, “Eureka!”  If there’s one thing I DO know how to do, its Crock pot.  And pulled chicken in a Crock pot is like, the best thing ever for burritos and tacos and… “Eureka again!”  I’ll make a pulled Lamb Gyro.  Thank you to Closet Cooking, I didn’t have to go far to find the recipe.  Add in a side of Greek style potatoes, and Voilá! Dinner!

Pulled Lamb Gyros
Pulled Lamb (see below)
Tzatziki (see below)
Diced Tomatoes
Diced Red Onion
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Pita Bread

Directions: Set all ingredients up taco-bar style and let your family or guests pick and choose their toppings.  Pair with a yummy Greek salad or Greek style potatoes (recipe below).

Pulled Lamb
2-3 pounds lamb shoulder or leg (boneless if possible)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion (sliced)
2 cups water (Closet Cooking didn't add any water but I figured I should after watching it cook for a while and feeling like it was going to get dry.  Better to have too much juice than not enough.)

Directions: Combine all ingredients except onion and water and marinate Lamb overnight.  In the morning, put lamb and marinade in Crock pot and add water and sliced onion.  Cook at least 8 hours.  The meat will literally fall apart.  So yummy!  Make sure to remove all pieces of bone.  I took all the meat out with a slotted spoon and shredded it with two forks, then left it in a bowl and covered the bowl with tinfoil to keep the heat in.  (The preparation process the night before was incredibly easy and was done by the time my boys had watched their night-night show.)

Um, yum.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1 ½ large cucumbers peeled, quartered, seeded and shredded
2-4 garlic cloves, minced (depends on how garlicky you want it)
Teaspoon diced fresh mint
½ lemon, squeezed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Peel cucumbers, cut them into quarters, seed them, and shred them.  To get the juices out, I wrapped the shredded cucumber in a paper towel and squeezed, squeezed, squeezed.  I repeated that with about two more paper towels.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  I made this the night before too, so that all the flavors would meld.  If you prefer your tzatziki to be smoother, you can also put the cucumbers in the food processor.  I like having the texture, so grated was good enough for me. 

Hello, gorgeous.

The hardest part was preparing the cucumber but after making my very own tzatziki I felt incredibly accomplished!

 I now dub thee, a Grecian Goddess!

Greek-Style Potatoes
These were whipped up at 3:30 in the afternoon after the lamb had been cooking all day and my husband said, “What are we having with our gyros?”  Uh.  Quick google. “Oh, great!  I found a recipe that calls for ingredients we already have!”  After 10 minutes the potatoes were in the oven and I was back in my comfy spot on the couch watching How to Train a Dragon with Ansen.  I am super-mom.

4-6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered (or eigthed, as I chose to do.)  No, that’s not a word.
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil (do less of this though, my potatoes were a little too oily)
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
½ lemon, squeezed
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Directions: Combine all ingredients in an oven safe baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  That’s it.

Are you salivating yet?

I said I was super-mom before but that pissed you off, didn’t it?  That’s why I included the picture below so as to hopefully restore some of my street-cred.

I know, can you even believe I let my two-year old wear Christmas jammies in March?

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March's Ingredient: Lamb

I am enjoying our new "secret ingredient" blog format and love that it sticks to our theme of pushing our culinary boundaries. When my friend Amanda found out she was pregnant she did a lot of reading about super foods and what's important to eat during the nine months before birth and it turns out lamb is on that list. Who knew? I'm not pregnant, but super foods are good for everyone! I've only had lamb a few times and I certainly have never cooked it. Amanda's findings made me curious, here is what some of my research turned up:

Lamb has a high nutritional value and is an especially good source of easily absorbed zinc and iron. The recommended daily allowance provided by a three ounce serving of cooked lamb is 30% for zinc (essential for growth, tissue repair, and a healthy immune system) and 17% for iron (needed for the formation of red blood cells). Lamb is rich in B vitamins, especially B12. One serving can provide 74-100% of the daily requirement for Vitamin B12, which is essential for the body's metabolic reactions. Lamb is also nature's best source for an amino acid called carnitine, which is needed to generate energy from fatty acids. Trace elements such as copper, manganese, and selenium are also found in this meat, and it contains a rich supply of high quality protein.

Before settling on this ingredient for March I of course had to search for recipes and I realized just how many cuts there are and all the things you can make with lamb! I know this may be a challenge for some, but if anyone can do it, my beauties can! Can't wait to see what recipes are posted this month. Bon appetite!