Lamb Rack With Cucumber Yogurt Food

SPICE-RUBBED LAMB RACK WITH YOGURT AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Make the spice rub: Combine the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. In a small bowl, mix the freshly ground spices with the paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat a grill to medium high and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the hot coals to one side and leave the other half empty. For a gas grill, preheat all the burners, then turn off half the burners and keep the others on medium-high heat.
• Grill the lamb: Coat the lamb with the olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Grill over direct heat, turning as needed, until browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to indirect heat (the unlit side of the grill); cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb registers 125 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, mix the labne, olive oil, herbs, Aleppo pepper, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt, black pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Carve the lamb racks and serve with the yogurt sauce.

LAMB RACK WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT

Steps:

• Cucumber Yogurt
• Line a colander with a quadruple layer of cheesecloth and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. suspend over a large bowl and refrigerate for 48 hours, allowing the moisture to drain from the yogurt.
• Peel and grate the cucumbers on a box grater. season with 1 teaspoon of salt and hang in a quadruple layer of cheese-cloth to drain excess moisture, about 1 hour. Measure 1 cup of the drained yogurt and reserve the rest for another use. Combine the cup of yogurt and the drained cucumbers in a medium bowl. stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Grate the garlic on a Microplane grater into the mixture and fold in the chopped dill. Mix well and season with salt to taste.
• Roasted Lamb Rack
• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. season the lamb rack generously with salt. place the rack in the skillet fat side down and sear over high heat until browned, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn and sear the bottom for 1 minute. Turn the rack back onto the fat side and add the butter, thyme, and garlic. Baste the rack with the butter for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb rack fat side up to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the lamb rack over, baste with butter, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. remove the lamb rack from the oven, turn it back over, and baste once more. roast in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130° to 135°F. Let the lamb rack rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. serve with the cucumber yogurt and heirloom tomatoes.

YOGURT-MARINATED ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Marinade: Use a spoon to peel the ginger. Peel garlic and onion. Roughly chop onion and ginger, followed by half of the parsley and cilantro, including stems. In a blender, add the ginger, onion, garlic, herbs, ⅓ of the yogurt, and salt. Purée until smooth. Add the remaining yogurt and purée again to combine. Set aside.
• Lamb: Place lamb on a flat surface. Use a sharp knife to poke holes in the lamb at 1½-inch intervals; this will help the lamb absorb the marinade. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Fit a brining bag into a large container (or the roasting pan you'll be using, if it fits in the refrigerator). Then place the lamb into the bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the marinade into the lamb so all of the meat is covered, then seal the bag. Refrigerate for 1-2 days (longer marination will yield more tenderized lamb).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the lamb and all of the marinade into a roasting pan. Lay parchment paper over the lamb to cover, then cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour. (Total roasting time will be 3 hours.)
• After 1 hour, remove lamb from oven. Gently remove foil and parchment. (The yogurt will have separated into curds and whey, which is normal.) Use tongs to flip the lamb over, then cover with parchment and foil again. Place back into the oven for 1 hour. After the second hour of roasting, flip the lamb again and place back into the oven, uncovered, for 1 final hour.
• After a total of 3 hours of roasting, remove lamb. Pierce the lamb with a sharp knife to check for doneness. If there isn't a lot of resistance, it's done. Flip lamb over, spoon yogurt solids on top, and let rest, 30 minutes.
• Almond Relish: Roughly chop the almonds, place in a medium bowl, and set aside. Pick the leaves off the remaining cilantro and parsley, bunch together, and finely chop. Add herbs to the almonds. Add enough olive oil to cover, about ½ cup, and mix. Juice 3 of the 4 lemon halves into the relish, mix, and add salt to taste. Use the juice of the remaining lemon half to taste.
• Assembly: Use tongs and a meat fork to transfer lamb to a serving platter. Spoon relish over the lamb, and serve.

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT AND CUCUMBER YOGURT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the shallots, garlic, rosemary, sugar, coriander, salt, and chile flakes. Rub the mixture on the surface of the lamb. Set the lamb in a large glass baking dish; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rinse the lamb and pat it dry. Heat a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Brown the lamb on both sides.
• Set the lamb on a roasting rack in the pan and roast, fat side up, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a platter. Set the pan over medium heat and add the stock, scraping the pan drippings to dissolve them in the broth. Simmer until reduced by half.
• Serve the lamb with the reduced pan sauce, Tzatziki Sauce, and grilled vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash tossed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.
• Stir together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

GREEK LAMB WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the chops in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.
• Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it's a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Move oven rack to the center position.
• In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside.
• Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.
• Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness you want. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat after 10 to 12 minutes and remove the meat, or let it cook longer, to your taste. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.

GROUND LAMB GYROS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.
• FOR THE LAMB LOAF.
• Combine lamb, bread, egg, milk, onion, garlic, parsley and seasonings in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, kneading. Shape mixture into a 7" X 4"loaf.
• Place loaf on rack for drainage and bake.
• 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until temp of 180 deg. Allow the loaf to rest. Can be used at this time to make your gyros, or covered and stored in the frig until the next day.
• FOR THE SAUCE.
• Whisk together the cucumbers, sour cream, yogurt, green onions, lemon juice, salt, white pepper and mint. Store in frig until serving time.
• HEATING AND ASSEMBLING GYROS.
• Put slices of the lamb loaf on a flat grill pan and heat on low to medium heat. Meanwhile, put pita rounds between two sheets of aluminum foil, crimp the edges, and put in oven to warm.
• Put portions of the hot meat on the warmed pita round, and pile the sweet onion slices and tomatoes on top. Serve the gyro with a generous side dish of the cucumber / yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.