Lebanese Lamb Yogurt Marinade Food

YOGURT MARINATED SPICED LAMB

Steps:

• Season lamb on both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• In a non-reactive bowl, combine remainder of ingredients. Whisk or stir to combine.
• Coat each lamb chop in yogurt mixture, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.
• After chops have marinated, preheat outdoor grill or cast iron grill on the stove top.
• For outdoor: Grill chops 4 mins on each side or until preferred doneness is achieved For indoor: Turn broiler on high in oven settings. Griddle chops on med/high heat using a cast iron pan with grill grates for 2 mins each side. Transfer to oven and broil for 4-8 mins until desired doneness.
• Allow lamb to rest for 2 mins before digging in. Serve with your favorite middle eastern inspired sides.

LEBANESE LAMB MARINADE

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients to a pestle & mortar or food processor - or use a stick blender to blend into a puree.
• Place your meat (around 2-4 lb) into a plastic bag and then pour in the marinade. Leave for as long as you can in the fridge (4 hours minimum but 24-hrs is best).
• When you're ready, remove the meat from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then cook as you like.

LAMB IN SPICED YOGURT SAUCE WITH RICE AND BREAD

Steps:

• Combine lamb and 4 cups water in a wide 5-quart heavy pot (add more water to just cover lamb if necessary). Bring to a boil over moderate heat, skimming froth from surface. Once liquid is clear and at a full boil, add pepper and 1 teaspoon salt, then cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• While meat is simmering, heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in turmeric, allspice, cardamom pods, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add onion mixture to lamb and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove lid and briskly simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 hour more. Add yogurt, gently shaking and swirling pot to incorporate.
• Simmer lamb over moderately low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally in one direction only (or yogurt may curdle), until sauce is slightly thickened and meat is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper if necessary and discard cinnamon stick.
• While sauce simmers, bring remaining 3 cups water with remaining teaspoon salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add rice and stir once, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Slide pan off heat (do not lift) and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork.
• Line a 3-quart shallow serving bowl with a single layer of pita halves (reserve remaining pita to serve alongside), then mound rice on top of bread. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over rice to moisten and arrange meat over rice. Sprinkle with pine nuts and spoon 1/2 cup sauce over meat, then arrange reserved pita and red onions around edge of bowl. Pour remaining sauce through a sieve into a sauceboat or small bowl and serve on the side.

LAMB SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Place the yogurt, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, onion, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, clove, mace, and cayenne pepper until evenly blended. Mix in the lamb strips to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook the lamb strips in a single layer in batches until the fat melts and the meat has browned and is no longer pink on the inside, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

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.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB MARINATED IN YOGURT AND MINT

Steps:

• Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, minced garlic, mint, thyme, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Rub the garlic clove over both sides of the lamb and put the lamb in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn it several times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
• Prepare a charcoal or gas grill arranging the coals for indirect cooking. Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable oil cooking spray. The coals should be hot. Lift the lamb from the marinade, scrape off the excess marinade, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Discard the marinade. Combine the oil and crushed garlic in a small bowl for brushing on the meat.
• Sear the lamb over the hot coals for about 5 minutes on each side, brushing with the olive oil and garlic mixture several times; continue brushing the lamb with the remaining olive oil and garlic mixture during the first 20 minutes of grilling. Move the lamb to the cooler part of the grill, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the meat over, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer for medium-rare meat, or until cooked to desired doneness. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat should register 140 degrees for rare meat and 145 to 150 degrees for medium-rare. Let the lamb rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

HERBED LAMB KEBABS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the lamb shoulder across the grain in thin slices with a sharp knife, flatten the slices between sheets of plastic wrap until they are 1/8 inch thick, and cut them into 1-inch-wide strips.
• In a saucepan whisk together the lemon juice, the thyme, the rosemary, the oregano, the pepper, and the salt, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the marinate until it is emulsified. Add the lamb strips, stir the mixture to coat the strips well with the marinade, and thread them onto the skewers, reserving the remaining marinade. Arrange the kebabs on the rack of a broiling pan, broil them under a preheated broiler about 3 inches from the heat, turning them once, for 6 minutes, and transfer them to a plate. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the juice from the broiler pan to the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the yogurt and salt and pepper to taste, and spoon the sauce over the kebabs.

YOGURT-MARINATED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• 1. In a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the yogurt, olive oil, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the lamb, turning to coat evenly, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• 2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the lamb fat side up in a roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145° for medium rare, about 1 1/2 hours. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

LEBANESE MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken into 1-in cubes and place in a shallow nonreactive container.
• Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken.
• Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
• Thread chicken on skewers & grill or broil as desired.