Lamb Chops With Preserved Lemon Moroccan Style Food

MOROCCAN GRILLED LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Place the garlic, mint, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely ground. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine.
• Place the chops in one or two non-metal dishes large enough to hold them in one layer. Spread the garlic and herb mixture evenly on both sides. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, Sriracha, and lemon juice, and spread it evenly on the lamb chops. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate for 6 to 24 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals and oil the cooking grate. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and grill 5 to 6 inches above the coals, first with the yogurt side up (marinade and all) for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until medium rare. Transfer to a clean plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the couscous.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remove from the heat. Cover the pot tightly and allow the couscous to steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the mint and pine nuts. Taste for seasonings and add about 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltiness of the stock, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve hot.

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat and gristle from meat and cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Place meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron; sprinkle over the meat and set aside.
• On a cutting board, mince together the orange zest, cilantro leaves, garlic, and salt until you have a paste. Add to the meat along with the orange juice and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Transfer the mixture to a heavy pot, add the onions, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer (or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven) until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add olives and, if using, preserved lemon to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes more, then serve.
• Wash a 1-pint glass-canning jar and its lid with hot soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Cut 6 of the lemons, 1 at a time, into quarters through 1 end without cutting all the way through the other end. You want the lemon to open out like a flower, but not to separate. Place the lemon on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper, spread quarters open and sprinkle flesh with a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt; put the lemon into the jar. Continue with remaining lemons, sprinkling salt on each. Pack the lemons in the jar tightly, filling it to the top (you may need more or less than 6 lemons, depending on their size). When you reach the top, lift the parchment and pour the excess salt from it into the jar of lemons.
• Slide the bay leaves down opposite sides of the jar. Juice the remaining lemons 1 by 1, adding juice to the jar, until it reaches the top. Seal jar, shake well, and let stand at room temperature, shaking well every 12 hours, for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer jar to the refrigerator, continuing to shake every day. Lemons are preserved after 3 weeks and keep up to several months in the refrigerator.
• To use lemons, pull out as needed and scrape away pulp. Dice peel and use as a condiment.

MOROCCAN LAMB CHOPS WITH PRESERVED LEMON GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Rinse lamb and blot dry. Trim as much fat away from rack as possible. Slice between rib bones, all the way through, to yield eight chops per rack. Place in large container.
• Combine Ras el hanout, 2 TBSPs of garlic, minced cilantro and olive oil. You might need more olive oil in order to obtain a smooth slather. Toss lamb chops in mixture and allow to stand at room temp for an hour or so.
• Sprinkle coated lamb chops generously with salt and pepper. Grill over hot fire or broil to desired doneness, only a few minutes per side. When internal temp reaches 130 degrees F, they are medium.
• After removing from cooking source and still hot, sprinkle with lemon juice. (You might get the same result with adding the lemon juice to the marinade mixture before the lamb is cooked).
• Prepare gremolata topping on same day you are serving the lamb. Remove pulp from preserved lemons and discard, keeping the rind. Then thoroughly rinse in cold water and mince finely. Roughly chop parsley leaves. Combine preserved lemon, parsley leaves, and remaining tsp of minced garlic. Sprinkle over lamb chops before serving.
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• Preserved lemon: I usually start with about 5 lbs of organic lemons, juicing enough of them to yield about a cup. Go for organic ones, otherwise they have a coating of wax on them to preserve shelf life in the supermarket. You will need a glass jar with an air-tight seal. Combine ~ a tablespoon of coriander seed with ~ a tablespoon of fennel seed. Place 1 bay leaf and 1 cinnamon stick in the bottom of glass jar. Have a small bowl of Kosher salt nearby. Slice lemons in quarters ALMOST down to stem end, but leave intact. Place coriander and fennel seed inside lemon and also fill with salt. Place cut side down into glass jar, squeezing as many into the jar as you can. As you squeeze them, some of the lemon juice is released, but not enough to fill the jar. Just continue packing in as many lemons as you can and add additional salt between layers of lemon. Top off with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Then refrigerate for a month before using. I think this is Jamie Oliver's technique, but there are many out there. He has also suggested doing this with other citrus, like limes and mandarin oranges. Meyer lemons work nicely. Some techniques suggest a layer of olive oil on top, and this works well, too. If refrigerated, they last indefinitely.

MOROCCAN LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and a pinch of cinnamon. For best results put in large resealable plastic bag. Add the lamb. Turn to coat the lamb. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and place in a roasting pan. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on temperature of meat preferred). Remove from oven and preheat the broiler. Place 3 pear wedges on top of each piece of lamb. Place lamb under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the pears to caramelize with the brown sugar. Serve with Fried Plantains.
• Fried Plantains: Vegetable oil 2 green plantains, peeled, and sliced thinly lengthwise with a mandoline Salt
• Fill a deep pot halfway with oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Place plantains in hot oil and fry until golden and crisp. Remove to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Season immediately with salt.

MOROCCAN SLOW-COOKED LAMB

Steps:

• Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally and adding 2 more tablespoons oil to skillet between batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to another large bowl after each batch.
• Add onion and tomato paste to drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, garbanzo beans, apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon peel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return lamb to skillet and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lamb is just tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.)
• Transfer lamb and sauce to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

LAMB CHOPS WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup mint, coriander, garlic, paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.
• Rub the mixture into the chops, coating evenly, and place in a non-aluminum container. Cover and marinate at cool room temperature for 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare a fire in a grill. If the chops are refrigerated, bring to room temperature.
• Place the chops on an oiled grill rack and grill, turning once, for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.
• Transfer to a warmed platter or individual plates and sprinkle with mint, if using. Serve immediately.

LAMB CHOPS WITH PRESERVED LEMON (MOROCCAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Stir cilantro, parsley, and mint together in a small saucepan. Remove half of the herb mixture, and set aside. Stir the garlic, lemon, olives, olive oil, and black pepper into the remaining herbs. Spread 2 tablespoons of this mixture onto the lamb rack. Wrap the exposed bones with aluminum foil to keep them from burning. Stir the olives and bell pepper into the reserved mixture and keep warm over low heat.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
• Cook the lamb rack on the preheated grill until cooked to desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Baste occasionally with the warmed relish. Once cooked, remove from grill, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into individual chops.
• To serve, arrange lamb chops on a platter, spoon some of the warmed relish over them, and sprinkle with the reserved chopped herbs.