Seared Lamb With A Smoky Slather Food

SEARED LAMB WITH A SMOKY SLATHER

Steps:

• Combine tea, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme leaves and olive oil, and mix well. Place lamb in a dish and rub half the tea mixture on one side. Turn it over and slather the second side. If possible, set aside at room temperature up to 3 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place turnips and potatoes in a saucepan of salted water, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• As turnips and potatoes cook, place a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, on the stove over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Place lamb in pan and sear until browned on the bottom, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn lamb and place pan in the oven. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in a thick part of the meat should register 120 degrees for medium-rare.
• Remove lamb to a cutting board. Place skillet back on stove. Drain turnips and potatoes, place in skillet and briefly roll them in the pan drippings to pick up some color. Transfer them to a bowl, cover and keep warm; your turned-off oven comes in handy here.
• Add wine to skillet and cook on medium, scraping the pan, until it's somewhat reduced. Whisk in butter, season with salt and pepper and turn off heat. Slice lamb and arrange on a large platter. Spoon turnips and potatoes around it. Briefly reheat the sauce, spoon it over the meat, drop a few sprigs of thyme on top and serve.

AMAZING SIMPLE RACK OF LAMB WITH CABERNET SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425.
• Mix together seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
• Heat Olive Oil in large skillet to medium.
• If you like you can trim some fat from the racks. You also can slice them in half for smaller racks.(I usually do whole 8 bone racks) Sprinkle seasoning on each rack.
• Sear each rack on all sides until browned(2-4 minutes tops) Put racks into roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes to 130 degrees (for medium).Or 20 mins for a light pink med well. When lamb is done take it out of the oven and cover pan with foil and let lamb sit for 10 minutes.
• While lamb is cooking, make cabernet sauce by melting butter in the searing skillet ( Do NOT wash out skillet -- you want the cooked bits of lamb or "fond" in there for flavor ). When melted add flour and cook for a minute or so. Stir in other ingriedents starting with the Wine and Beef Broth, then simmer for a bit to reduce the liquid. You can add a bit of cornstarch if you want it thicker(My wife likes it to be more like gravy).
• When everything is ready you can cut the racks into 2 bone chops or leave it whole depending on your presention. Serve with Cab sauce on the side. The Cab Sauce is also great on mashed pototoes. Enjoy!

MARINATED LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS WITH TZATZIKI, ARUGULA AND FETA

Steps:

• For the lamb: Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, except the lamb, and whisk together to form a thick paste. Slather on the lamb chops. Marinate the chops at room temperature up to 2 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• For the tzatziki: Combine all the ingredients. Season with more salt, if necessary. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature before serving.
• Preheat the grill to medium. When the grill is hot, brush the grates with a wire grill brush to loosen any crud. Wipe the grates with an oiled side towel to pick up any loose soot or crud.
• If the lamb was in the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before grilling.
• Arrange the lamb chops on the grill. Do not move the chops for 2 to 3 minutes to allow lovely grill marks to form. Rotate the chops 90 degrees to create cross-hatch grill marks, and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chops and repeat the process. Remove the chops from the grill to a platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• For the salad: Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, big fat finishing oil, and salt. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and sprinkle with the crumbled feta. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates and top with a lamb chop. This will slightly wilt the salad. Drizzle with big fat finishing oil and top with a dollop of tzatziki.

SAUTEED SICILIAN LAMB

Steps:

• Set a large saute pan over high heat and add the oil. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Add the lamb to the pan along with the garlic and saute until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the oregano and pepper flakes and stir. The lamb is done when browned all over but still tender. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
• Set the pan back over the heat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, roasted peppers and mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the olives, capers and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the lamb to the pan and stir together to incorporate the flavors and heat through.
• Serve the lamb with rice pilaf and garnish with the parsley.

GRILLED LAMB KEBABS WITH SMOKY PEACHES

Steps:

• Build a fire in your grill; when the coals are all covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for 3 to 4 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover, and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium-high.)
• Mix the yogurt and mint together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Trim the lamb of most but not all fat and cut it into 32 large chunks, about 1 inch square. Add them to a large bowl with the olive oil, curry powder, salt and pepper, and toss well to coat, then thread onto 4 skewers.
• Put the skewers on the grill directly over the coals. Also put the peaches on the grill, cut side down, and cook until just slightly charred and softened, about 6 minutes. Take off the grill and cut into large wedges (about 6 per peach).
• At the same time, cook the lamb, turning to expose all 4 sides to the direct heat of the coals, until done to your liking, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes total) for medium rare. (To check for doneness, cut into one of the chunks and check to see if it is cooked to your liking - remove from the heat when it is slightly less done than you want it to be when you eat it.)
• Put the peaches and lamb into a large bowl. Add the garlic, basil, vinegar and Tabasco, toss to coat, season with more salt and pepper if needed, and serve (over rice if you wish), accompanied by the yogurt and mint.

SEARED LAMB LOIN CHOPS

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Generously season chops with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Place in skillet and cook until chops reach 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

SPANISH LAMB WITH SHERRY, HONEY & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Make sure your lamb isn't too damp - pat it dry with kitchen paper if you need to, otherwise it won't colour well. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole dish and brown the lamb over a high heat in batches (if you crowd the pan the meat will sweat and not brown). Remove with a slotted spoon as you go. When all the lamb is browned, add the remaining oil and cook the onion and peppers over a medium heat until the onion is golden and the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for a further 1 min, then add the sherry and bring to a simmer.
• Put all the lamb back in the pan, along with the stock, saffron, sherry vinegar and honey. Season and bring to just under the boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pan and leave to cook very gently for 2 hrs, turning the meat every so often.
• In the last half hour of cooking time, remove the lid so that the sherry and stock can reduce. You want to end up with completely tender meat in a flavoursome gravy - how long this takes will depend on how wide your pan is so you may need to give it longer than 30 mins. Check the seasoning. You're unlikely to need to adjust the vinegar or honey but you might want to sweeten the dish slightly. Scatter the parsley or almonds on top (or use both). Serve with the couscous.