Twice Cooked Lamb Belly Stir-Fry

Recipe provided by | Chef Karen Akunowicz

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

Sauce:

1 pound long beans or green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

sweet potato starch or mung bean starch

1 pound cellophane noodles

4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

2 pounds American Lamb Belly (recipe follows)

2 medium leeks, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

8 large Napa cabbage leaves, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

3/4 cup Stir-Fry Sauce (recipe follows)

4 tablespoons Chinese Hot Mustard Sauce (recipe follows)

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (about 1/2 bunch)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

American Lamb Belly Bacon

1 cinnamon stick, broken

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon Coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon whole sichuan peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds American Lamb belly (boneless lamb breast)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Black Chinkiang vinegar

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch-wide “smiles”

2 scallions, halved

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 small carrot, cut into rounds

1 medium garlic clove, sliced

1 (1-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled, cut into coins

1 cup Basic chicken Stock (recipe follows), or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup Low-sodium soy sauce

Basic Chicken Stock (makes 2 quarts)

3 pounds chicken wings and/or bones

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 bunch (8 or 9) scallions, coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

3 (1-inch) knobs fresh ginger, unpeeled, sliced

6 whole dried red Thai chiles

Stir-Fry Sauce (makes 1-1/2 cups)

1 cup Low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Black Chinkiang vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1-1/2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Chinese Hot Mustard Sauce (makes 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

4 teaspoons Chinese mustard powder

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

DIRECTIONS

METHOD:

Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Fill a large pot with water; bring to a rolling boil. Add beans; cook just until the color changes, about 2 minutes for long beans and 1 minute for green beans. Quickly remove beans from water with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander; plunge beans into ice water to stop cooking. Remove cooled beans from water; pat dry with paper towels and set aside. 

Fill pot again with water; bring to rolling boil. Drop in noodles and turn off heat. Let noodles soak for 8 minutes; drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil to keep from sticking; set aside.

Heat a wok or large, heavy, flat bottomed skillet over high heat; add 3 tablespoons oil. Add noodles; stir-fry until warm and have a bit of char, about 1 minute. Divide among 4 bowls. 

In the same wok or skillet over medium heat, lay half the sliced lamb belly as flat as possible; cook until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; place on a paper towel-lined plate.  

To the lamb fat in the wok, add half the leeks; toss until they are soft, about 1 minute.  Add half the long beans; stir-fry 1 minute. Add half the cabbage; stir-fry for another 1 minute. Return Lamb Belly Bacon to the wok; add about half the Stir-Fry Sauce, toss for 

1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons Chinese Hot Mustard Sauce; stir. Divide stir-fry between 2 bowls. Repeat with remaining stir-fry ingredients to make 2 more bowls. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds; serve immediately.

In a small saucepan, toast cinnamon stick, cumin, coriander, peppercorns and red pepper flakes over low heat until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Rub toasted spices over lamb belly. Sprinkle brown sugar and 3 tablespoons vinegar over lamb belly and rub in. Refrigerate, covered, in nonreactive container or shallow glass baking dish for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.

In a large braising dish or Dutch oven, scatter celery, scallions, onions, carrot, garlic and ginger evenly on the bottom.  Lay lamb belly directly on the vegetables; evenly pour chicken stock, 1/2 cup black vinegar and soy sauce over top. Cover lightly with aluminum foil (or cover with lid if using a Dutch oven).  Place over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from stove; place in oven. Braise at 350°F for 1-1/2 hours; remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, remove lamb and place on a rack on a baking sheet to cool.  It will have shrunk to about 1/2 the original size and will be very fragrant. Discard vegetables and excess juice.

In a large stockpot, add chicken.  Cover with about 12 cups water; bring to a boil. Skim foamy impurities off the top; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Add onions, scallions, celery, carrot, ginger and chiles; simmer gently for about 2 hours.  Strain; skim off layer of fat that rises to the top of the stock. The stock can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month. 

In a large saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, pepper and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until smooth to form a slurry. Slowly add it to soy mixture; whisk constantly.  Increase heat to medium-high; whisk until mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. It should be shiny and coat the back of a spoon. Remove sauce from heat; pour into a bowl or container and refrigerate until cool. Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.  Add mustard powder; whisk vigorously until thoroughly mixed in. While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil to emulsify the sauce.  It will be thick and shiny. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. 

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board

ENTREE, BELLY/BREAST

Coffee-braised American Lamb Belly, Almond & Cardamom Dukkah, Roasted Dates

Recipe provided by | Chef Michael P. Scelfo

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ground fennel seed

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

5 pounds boneless American Lamb breast/belly

2 apples, rough chop

6 garlic cloves, smashed

6 shallots

2 carrots, rough chop

2 celery, rough chop

3 cups brewed coffee, chilled

2 cups sherry

4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

6 fresh bay leaves

12 large sage leaves

1/2 pound roasted dried dates, pitted and halved, roasted

Minced parsley as desired

Orange zest as desired

Dukkah Spice Mix:

3/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup almonds

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1/4 cup whole cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

METHOD:

In a small bowl, mix fennel seed with 2 tablespoons of oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper.  Rub mixture all over lamb. In a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil; add lamb and brown well over moderately high heat, about 20 minutes.  Transfer lamb to a large plate; wipe out the casserole.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil into casserole; brown apples, garlic, shallots, carrots and celery.  Return lamb to the casserole. Add coffee and sherry; reduce by half. Add stock, bay leaves and sage; bring to a boil.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid; transfer casserole to oven. Braise lamb at 350°F for 3-1/2 to 4 hours, turning the meat occasionally, until tender.

Transfer lamb to a large platter; cover with foil.  Discard vegetables, sage and bay leaves. Simmer braising liquid until reduced to 1-1/2 cups, about 50 minutes. 

For the Dukkah Spice Mix:  On a baking sheet, spread sesame seeds out in a single layer.  Roast at 350°F for about 2 minutes each side. Remove from oven; set aside.  Place almonds on same baking sheet; roast for about 3 minutes each side. Remove; combine with sesame seeds.

In a food processor, combine sesame seeds and almonds, fennel seeds, cardamom, salt and peppercorns; grind for 2 to 4 minutes, until ground.

To serve, slice the lamb, transfer to plates or a platter and spoon sauce on top.  Sprinkle with Dukkah Spice Mix and a few roasted dates. Sprinkle with minced parsley and orange zest if desired.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board

American Lamb Belly & Arugula on Flatbread

Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS

2 bellies (12 pounds) American Lamb belly/breast, bone-in or boneless

6 tablespoons Garlic, roasted, mashed

6 tablespoons Confit spice mixture (black pepper, thyme, bay, ginger, nutmeg and allspice)

2 tablespoons Black pepper, cracked

1-1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Wood chips for smoking, soaked 3 cups (hickory, pecan, apple, alder, etc.)

12 Flatbreads, pre-grilled

9 ounces Baby arugula, shredded

2 to 3 tablespoons Olive oil

2 tablespoons White balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper as needed

1-1/2 cups Parmesan, shaved

DIRECTIONS

METHOD:

Rinse and pat dry lamb bellies. Place in 3-inch-high full-size hotel pan; hold. In a bowl, mix together garlic, confit spices, pepper and salt; rub evenly over surface of lamb. Cover well; refrigerate at least 1 day before cooking.
Place lamb in a sprayed roasting pan on a low rack and roast in 250ºF convection oven (or 300°F conventional oven) for 3 to 4 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove from oven; cover and chill until ready to smoke.
In a prepared smoker, place lamb inside on the rack not directly over fire or heat; cover and smoke, using soaked wood chips, for at least 1 hour or until bellies are crisp, browned and tender. Remove from smoker; cover and cool slightly. Remove bones gently if applicable; chill.
Cut smoked lamb into thick julienne or bite-size chunks. Heat to order in a 425ºF convection oven (or 475°F conventional oven) until crisp and heated through; keep warm.
Place flatbreads on a parchment-lined full-size sheet pan. In a bowl, toss arugula, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture among the 12 flatbread rounds, approximately 1 cup per flatbread.
To serve: Top each arugula-topped flatbread with 5 ounces of crisp lamb belly pieces; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board