Lamb

Ingredients

• ³⁄₄ packed cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 packed cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cumin, ground
• 2 tablespoons juice (about 2 limes)
• Kosher salt
• 4 garlic, or regular, naan breads
• Neutral oil such as peanut, canola, or vegetable
• 1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
• 1 ²⁄₃ teaspoons garam masala
• ¹⁄₃ teaspoon plus ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed, groun
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¹⁄₂ cup greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Combine ¹⁄₂ cup cilantro, 1 cup mint, 1 jalapeno pepper, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cumin, ¹⁄₂ of the chopped onion, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in food processor and process until smooth.  Thin with water until thick but pourable.  Season with salt to taste and set aside.  
2. Cut the naan into triangular pieces and place on baking sheet.  Brush both sides with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Remove naan chips from oven.  
3. Toss chickpeas with ²⁄₃ teaspoon garam masala, ¹⁄₃ teaspoon paprika, ¹⁄₃ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil.  Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 35 minutes, tossing once.  
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining jalapeno, chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of ginger, and garlic,   
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half of jalapeno mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add ground lamb, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, remaining ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring, until cooked through.  
6. Mix remaining jalapeno mixture with remaining ¹⁄₄ cup cilantro, remaining tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar.  
7. Layer the naan chips with ground lamb, roasted chickpeas, cilantro-mint sauce, jalapeno salsa, and greek yogurt.  

Comments

This recipe is from Serious Eats and, even though I made it quite some time ago, I still remember that it was delicious.  The original recipe called for mango, which I omitted.  I sort of wished that I’d added cucumber or corn, but then they’d be similar to other things that I make, so probably best this way.  We all enjoyed this.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, diced
• ³⁄₄ cups carrots, diced
• ³⁄₄ cups red bell pepper, diced
• ³⁄₄ cup green beans, diced
• 3 tablespoons rogan josh curry paste
• 4 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup water
• ¹⁄₂ cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ¹⁄₃ cup heavy cream
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in Instant Pot using sauté setting then sauté onion, carrots, bell pepper, and green beans for 2 minutes.  Add curry paste and sauté another 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, lamb, and water.  Reset Instant Pot, cover, and do the pressure thing for 8 minutes.  Quick release the pressure.  
2. Open Instant Pot, add peas, cilantro, and heavy cream.  

Comments

Although I found this recipe and bought the ingredients to make it, Art ended up making it while I was out of town.  He and Lance thought it was scrumptious, so I’m sorry that I missed it!  The recipe is from Patak’s but I’ve modified it for the Instant Pot.  I love making curries in this thing.

Ingredients

• 4 eggplants, sliced in ¹⁄₂ inch thick rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 cans diced tomatoes or 2 pounds tomatoes, diced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350*F.  
2. Place eggplant on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes or until tender.  
3. Meanwhile, prepare sauce.  Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 15 minutes.  Add lamb and cook until no longer pink.  
4. Add tomatoes, salt, coriander, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne.  Stir to combine and remove sauce to large bowl.   
5. Layer half of the cooked eggplant in now-empty skillet.  Spread half of sauce over eggplant.  Top with remaining eggplant.  Stir parsley into remaining sauce then spoon sauce into skillet.  Continue cooking, over medium heat, 5 to 10 minutes.  
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.  

Comments

This recipe is from Grok Grub and it had potential, but left a lot to be desired.  The eggplant was spongy and not super flavorful as a result.  I think this would have been better if the eggplant had been diced and sautéed first to give it some flavor and better texture.  The dish has some potential because the rest of the flavors were solid, so I might revisit it in the future.

Ingredients

• Rack of lamb (about 2 pounds)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 heaping tablespoons country style Dijon mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375*F.  
2. Using a sharp knife, score the fat on the rack of lamb to make a diamond pattern.  Be careful not to cut through to the meat.  Season lamb with salt and pepper.  
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Sear lamb on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes total.  
4. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, thyme, marjoram, and tarragon.  Spread mixture over lamb then transfer lamb to shallow baking dish, fat side up.  
5. Cook 20 to 25 minutes or until instant read thermometer reads 135*F for medium rare.  Remove lamb from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing into chops.  

Comments

This recipe is from The Crepes of Wrath and it was delicious!  We’ve had racks of lamb in the freezer for a while, since I just haven’t known what to do with them.  I’m so glad that I finally decided to tackle them because this recipe was absolutely fantastic.  The lamb was so tender and succulent and perfectly medium rare.  I actually made three very small racks because the local lambs are teeny.

Ingredients

For the lamb

• 1 (2.2-pound) shoulder/arm of lamb
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh rosemary
• 1 bulb garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons capers, soaked, drained and chopped
• 1 large bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 500*F.  
2. Slash fat side of lamb with sharp knife.  Place half of rosemary and half of garlic in Dutch oven.  Rub lamb with olive oil then place on top of rosemary and garlic.  Top with remaining rosemary and garlic then cover with lid or foil.  Place in oven, reduce heat to 325*F, and cook 4 hours.  Remove lamb from pan and wrap in foil.  
3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven and remove any bits of rosemary.  Put pan on stovetop over medium heat.  Add flour and stir well to combine with fat.  Add chicken broth and cook, stirring and scraping, until all brown bits have released.  Add capers, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes.  Add mint and vinegar then transfer to serving dish.  
4. Shred lamb with 2 forks before serving with sauce.  

Comments

This recipe is from Food Network and Jamie Oliver.  Lamb arm roasts are a harder cut of meat to deal with, but I thought this recipe turned out pretty well.  The sauce was flavorful and the meat was super tender.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 8 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 large egg
• 1 ¹⁄₄ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¹⁄₂ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Zest of half lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¹⁄₄ cup red wine
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Zest of half lemon
• ³⁄₄-1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• Juice of one lemon
• ¹⁄₄ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Mix all meatball ingredients together, except oil, in large bowl.  Using disher or hands, make meatballs with about 3 tablespoons of meatball mixture each.  
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Evenly space meatballs in skillet and cook until browned on one side.  Turn and continue cooking until browned on opposite side.  Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.  Repeat with remaining meatballs if you weren’t able to fit them all in one batch.   
3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and return to medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan.  Cook until liquid almost evaporates.  Add tomatoes, oregano, lemon zest, salt, mint, and parsley.  Bring mixture to simmer and return meatballs to pan.  Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and cook, 20 to 25 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.  
4. Sprinkle lemon juice and remaining feta cheese over meatballs and serve.  

Comments

This recipe is from the ever fantastic Smitten Kitchen and it was fantastic.  I loved these meatballs.  They were delicious and tender and so full of flavor.  I served this with Greek Orzo.

Ingredients
2 pounds lamb loin (Mine had the bone in, boneless is great too.)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Rub lamb with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours. 

2. Mix brown sugar with balsamic vinegar until sugar is dissolved. 

3. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until garlic is very soft.  Remove from skill, cool slightly, then mash with fork.  Return mashed garlic to skillet.  Add balsamic mixture to skillet  and simmer over low heat until sauce reaches the consistency of syrup, about 10 minutes. 

4. Heat oven to 375*F.  Place lamb in small baking dish or roasting pan and cook 12 to 14 minutes or until medium rare. 

5. Remove from oven and baste lamb with sauce.  Let meat rest 10 minutes then baste again with sauce.  Cut into thin slices and serve with extra sauce at the table. 

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Comments
This recipe is from CDKitchen.  Art picked this cut of lamb from the freezer, it’s actually from our first lamb order, and I found this recipe to use.  It was delicious although the lamb loin was super teeny.  This probably would have made a better meal for 2 people instead of 3.

Ingredients
For the goat cheese topping
3 ounces goat cheese
¹⁄₄ pound pancetta, diced and cooked until crisp
2 tablespoons marinated sundried tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 clove garlic, minced

For the red wine sauce
1 cup red wine
1 shallot, finely minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, or one of each
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter, cut in four pieces
Salt and pepper

For the lamb
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds boneless lamb loin, cut into 4 portions
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Using a fork, combine goat cheese, pancetta, tomatoes, herbs, and garlic in small bowl.  Chill mixture until ready to use. 

2. Place wine, shallot, and herb in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup of liquid. Remove the herb sprigs.

3. Whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. The sauce should be glossy and slightly syrupy.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

4. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Sear the lamb on both sides for a minute or so, to brown, and then reduce the heat and cook each side 3 to 4 minutes longer or until desired doneness is reached. Transfer to a plate and let rest.

5. Top lamb portions with goat cheese mixture then drizzle with red wine sauce. 

Photo

Comments
This recipe is from Delish.  It was definitely delish!  I did feel that there was too much goat cheese topping for the amount of lamb, but that’s easy enough to rectify.  Super tasty lamb dish.

Ingredients
1 (4 to 5 pound) boneless leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Emeril’s Essence
16 pita breads
Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, etc. 

For the tzatziki sauce
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Instructions
1. With a sharp knife, make slits across one side of lamb and insert garlic slivers into slits.  Place lamb in a large ziptop bag or plastic container. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour over lamb and rub evenly across the surface.  Seal bag or container and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to 6, turning occasionally. 

3. Meanwhile, prepare tzatziki.  Combine all ingredients in small bowl and chill for at least one hour. 

4. Remove lamb from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.  Season lightly on all sides with seasoned salt.  Prepare grill for grilling. 

5. Remove lamb from marinade and place on grill.  Cook, turning occasionally, until meat reaches an internal temperature of 145*F for medium-rare.  Remove from grill and tent with foil.  Let rest 15 minutes before carving. 

6. Thinly slice lamb and serve with pita, vegetables, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Emeril via Food Network.  I made it quite some time ago, but I’m pretty sure it was tasty and we all enjoyed it!  But I love anything with tzatziki.

Ingredients
For the tzatziki sauce
1 small cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

For the lamb
1 tablespoons olive oil
¹⁄₄ cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground lamb or beef
¹⁄₃ cup water
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cinnamon
¹⁄₂ teaspoon oregano
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground coriander
¹⁄₈ teaspoon cloves

For assembly
4 large flour tortillas
2 cups cooked rice
³⁄₄ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cucumber, chopped
1 pint small tomatoes, quartered

Instructions
1. Mix together all tzatziki ingredients in small bowl.  Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 

2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add lamb and cook until browned.  Drain fat if necessary. 

3. Add water and spices then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

3. Place tortillas on plate, cover with damp paper towel, and microwave 30 seconds or until they become soft and pliable. 

4. Mix together tzatziki, lamb, rice, feta, cucumber, and tomatoes then divide mixture between tortillas.  Fold ends up and roll before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Koko Cooks.  I made it so long ago now that I don’t remember it in great detail, but I do remember that we all loved this recipe – especially me because I could bathe in tzatziki and be happy.