Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

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INGREDIENTS

• 8-9 pounds Leg of Lamb, (trimmed of excess fat)

• 4 Garlic cloves, (halved)

• Salt

• Pepper

Dry Rub

• 1 tablespoon All Spice powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Wet Rub

• 6 garlic Cloves

• 1 yellow Onion

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon of dry rub (see ingredients above)

• 1/2 tomato

• 1/2 bell pepper

• 1/3 cup olive oil

Topping for the marinated lamb

• 6 bay leaves

• 6 cardamom pods

Garnish

• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

• 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the leg of lamb and pat dry.  Cut 8 slits throughout the leg of lamb.  Insert a half piece of garlic in each slit.  Season the leg of lamb with salt & pepper.

Mix together the dry rub ingredients.  (Reserve 1 tbsp for the wet marinade).  Using the dry rub, season the entire leg of lamb, throughout.

Make the wet rub by pulsing everything together in a food processor for a few seconds. Top the leg of lamb with the wet rub throughout massaging it all over the meat.  Any remaining wet rub can be mixed with 2 cups of water and added to the bottom of the pan. Allow for enough of this mixture to cover the bottom of the pan by an inch.

Top the marinated leg of lamb with pieces of cardamom and bay leaves.

Top the leg of lamb with a piece of parchment paper.  Wrap the entire pan in aluminum foil 3 times. This will secure the heat well when slow roasting the leg of lamb.  Ideally, marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge or at least 4-6 hours for best results. Take the lamb out 1 hour before planning to roast it. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Bake the leg of lamb for 1 hour at 450 degrees F. After an hour, lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and allow for it to roast for another 4 hours and 15 minutes.

At this point, the lamb should be tender. Lift the foil from a corner of the baking pan and grab a fork; once you touch it, it should fall apart easily.

Uncover the lamb.  The bottom of the pan may be a bit scorched from the fat that came off the lamb while roasting.  Gently move the leg of lamb to your desired serving dish.  Remove the bay leaves and cardamom off the top of the lamb.

Serve the leg of lamb on top of a bed of rice. Then drizzle any remaining concentrated liquid from the pan, if any, on top of the lamb. Garnish with chopped parsley, and toasted slivered almonds.

Notes

The USDA recommends that lamb reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest.

Hearty Lamb Barley Soup

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound American leg lamb that is boneless, trimmed and cut into small bite size pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1/2 cup pearl barley

• 1 tbsp dried green lentils

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup chopped carrots

• 6-7 cups boiling water

• 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies

• ¼ cup frozen lima beans

• 2 &½ tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 dried bay leaves

• ¼ cup of fresh cilantro or parsley , chopped for garnish

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Spices:

  • Salt to taste

  • Black pepper to taste

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 1/2 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot on medium heat, add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Stir and cook until onions are fragrant.

Then add the lamb and stir. Cook the lamb for 1-2 minutes on medium to high heat to get some color. Once the lamb gets slight browning, add all the spices, tomato paste and mix. Cook the lamb for 1 minute.

Now add all the veggies and stir.

Add the rinsed pearl barley and stir. Now pour in 5 cups of boiling water and add the two fresh bay leaves. Stir everything really well and bring soup to a boil.

Cover the pot and allow the soup to cook for about 50 minutes on medium to high heat until the lamb is tender and the barley is cooked. Check on the soup occasionally, and if the soup needs additional liquid add the remaining 1-2 cups of boiling water and stir.

Taste the soup and add additional seasoning to your liking.

Once ready, drizzle olive oil, and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Braised Lamb & Cavatelli with Castelvetrano Olives and Whipped Herby Chevre

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INGREDIENTS

Braised lamb & cavatelli with Castelvetrano olives

•  2-3 pounds of American lamb leg, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 cup milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 carrots, finely diced

• 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1 27-ounce can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes in juice

• 1 cup water

• 12 ounces cavatelli pasta (3/4 of a 1 pound box)

• 1/2 cup chopped basil

 Whipped Herby Chèvre

•  8 ounces soft chèvre

• 1/2 cup basil leaves

• A few leaves of flat leaf parsley

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small clove garlic or 1/2 clove

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pan suitable for braising, brown the meat in the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. 

Add the vegetables and tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with a spatula, making a sauce.

Stir, cover with a lid, and braise 2-3 hours in the oven. Check every 45 minutes for dryness. Add water in 1/2-cup increments if needed. Check for doneness at two hours and allow to cook up to 3 hours, if necessary. Once the sauce is finished, remove from the oven and let stand. (USDA recommends lamb reach an internal temp of 145F with a 3 minute rest)

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then mix with the cooked sauce.  Top with chopped basil.

Add all ingredients for the whipped chèvre to the work bowl of your food processor and whirl it until smooth.

To serve, swipe 1-2 tablespoons of the chèvre onto the bottom of your bowl, then spoon the hot pasta over the top and garnish with more basil. Enjoy!

Slow Braised Leg of Lamb

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SLOW BRAISED LEG OF LAMB:

• 4-5 lb. boneless leg of American lamb

• 4 tsp kosher salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 10 cloves of garlic, quartered

• 2 cups white wine

• 1 cup chicken or beef stock

• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs

FOR THE LEEK CONFIT

• 3 large leeks

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 8 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 8 fresh thyme sprigs

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

FOR THE SWEET POTATO PUREE

• 2.5 lb. sweet potatoes

• 3 tbsp butter

• 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

• Pinch ground white pepper

• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE SLOW BRAISED LEG OF LAMB

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Make slits all around the leg of lamb using a paring knife, and insert a piece of the prepared garlic into each slit. Generously season lamb with salt (1 tsp per pound) and pepper.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sear lamb on all sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add stock and the fresh rosemary sprigs; bring to a boil. Cover dutch oven with lid, and braise the lamb in oven for 4 hours, rotating the leg of lamb every hour.

Transfer lamb to a platter. Skim fat from the top of the juices in the dutch oven. Simmer remaining juices over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10. Spoon sauce over lamb when serving.

FOR THE LEEK CONFIT

Remove the outer skin of each leek. Chop leeks into 1/2 inch thick rings, discarding the root end and the dark green tops. Gently rinse any rings that look dirty.

Arrange sliced leeks in a shallow baking pan along with garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the leeks & garlic. Season with salt and add in thyme sprigs.

Roast leeks in the same oven as the lamb. After 30 minutes carefully flip each leek ring so that they cook evenly. Slow roast for another 30 minutes until lightly golden and melted.

Add more oil if leeks begin to dry out and brown.

FOR THE SWEET POTATO PUREE

Prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling and chopping into large chunks. Prepare a steamer and steam the sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the steamed sweet potatoes to the bowl of a food processor along with butter, salt, freshly grated nutmeg and white pepper.

Puree for about 1 minute until the puree is light and creamy. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can braise the lamb in a roasting pan. Heat the oil by setting the pan across 2 stovetop burners, then cover with parchment-lined foil before putting the lamb into the oven.

USDA recommends lamb reach an internal temperature of 145F with a three minute rest.

Ali Nazik Turkish Stew

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INGREDIENTS

Lamb

• 2 pounds American Lamb Chunks (your favorite cut) cut into 1 inch cubes

• 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons chili flakes or turkish pul biber

Stew

• 1 Tablespoon oil

• 1 large onion finely minced

• 5 cloves garlic

• ¼ cup Turkish pepper paste (or 2 roasted peppers minced)

• ½ cup tomato juice (or pureed tomatoes)

• 2 cups stock

• 1 bay leaf

Eggplant-Yogurt Sauce

• 3-4 Japanese eggplants

• 2 cups yogurt

• 2 cloves garlic

• ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper

• Juice of half a lemon

Garnish

• Fresh mint

• Fresh parsley

• Lemon juice

• Chili flakes

• Fresh chilies

• Bread

DIRECTIONS

Start by seasoning the lamb with all the spices and set aside.

Make the stew by sauteing the onions in oil until translucent and soft-this should take 6-8 minutes depending on the size of your onion mince. Add in the spiced lamb and garlic and sautee for another 5-6 minutes.

Then add remaining stew ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the stew and allow the lamb to cook over low heat (gentle boil) for 1 hour.

In the meantime, Prick the eggplants using a knife or fork. Place the egg plants directly over flame–stove, BBQ or broiler. You want the skin to be charred and black, and the eggplant will be soft.

Cover the eggplants and set aside for 10 minutes until the skin has softened.

Mix the yogurt with seasoning, garlic and lemon juice.

Peel the eggplant and mince it using a knife

Once the lamb is ready, begin plating the dish. Start by layering the eggplant and yogurt at the bottom of the plate, mixing them well.

Serve the stew right on top of the eggplant yogurt mixture along the middle.

Garnish with more chili flakes, herbs and lemon.

Serve right away and enjoy.

Roast Leg of Lamb

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INGREDIENTS

Lamb

• 2 legs of American lamb

• 16 cloves of garlic

• 16 cardamom pods

• ⅓ cup whole peppercorns

Dry Spice blend

• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar

• 2 Tablespoons of Allspice powder

• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 tablespoons of onion powder

• 1 tablespoons of garlic powder

• 3 tablespoons of Pepper flakes ( a blend of paprika and turkish spice pepper flakes)

• ¼ cup salt

• 3 tablespoons of cracked black pepper

Wet Blend

• ½ cup yogurt

• ¼ cup ketchup

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup pomegranate molasses

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

To Roast

• 2 onions cut in half

• 2 heads of garlic cut in half

• 5 bay leaves

• 6 cinnamon sticks

• 6 cups stock (beef, chicken, veggie or lamb)

DIRECTIONS

Start by preparing the lamb. Make sure it fits your roasting pan. You will be marinding the lamb in the pan itself. Your butcher can cut off the bone in order for it to fit comfortably.

Line your roasting pan with foil and then parchment paper.

Use a sharp knife to cut 3-4 slits into the leg of lamb deep enough to fit a garlic clove and cardamom. Press down one garlic clove and one cardamom pod along with a few whole peppercorns into each slit.

Next, season the lamb lightly with salt and pepper.

Mix the dry spice blend in a bowl and sprinkle the dry spices evenly over the lamb making sure to cover the sides and every possible part of the leg.

In a deeper bowl or cup, mix the wet blend together. Pour the wet mix over the leg of lamb and use your hands to massage that well into the meat.

Cover the lamb with a sheet of parchment paper and then foil. Marinade the lamb for 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Before roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the onions, garlic, whole spice and Bay leaves around the lamb. Pour the hot stock.

Give the lamb a final seasoning with the remaining salt and pepper. Cover and roast for 1 hour before dropping the temperature to 400 degreesF.

Roast the lamb for about 4-5 hours depending on the size/weight of the meat. On average each leg of lamb is about 6-9 pounds and each pound needs about 45 minutes of roasting. Rotate the pan halfway and make sure to add more stock if needed.

When ready, allow the meat to rest and cool before serving it with the pan juices.

Grilled Lamb Kabobs with Sesame Sauce

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INGREDIENTS

Kabobs

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, quartered

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• 4 sprigs fresh parsley

• 1 Tablespoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 1/4 pounds Ameerican lamb loin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes (or lamb leg, shoulder or stew meat)

Sesame Sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 3 Tablespoons tahini

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

To Garnish

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 Tablespoon pomegranate seeds

• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• Warm pita, for serving

• Grilled lemons

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine the oil, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and puree until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a resealable plastic bag and add the lamb. Seal and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Drain the lamb, shaking off the excess marinade. Thread the lamb onto 4 long skewers. Grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes for medium-rare meat.

Sesame Sauce

Add yogurt, tahini and lemon juice to a large bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds and cumin seeds until fragrant.

Spread the sesame sauce on a large serving plate and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with toasted seeds, pomegranate seeds and parsley. Arrange the grilled lamb skewers on top. Serve.

Grilled Lamb Souvlaki

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INGREDIENTS

Lamb

• 2lbs American Lamb leg meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon Greek oregano 

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper 

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 

• (8) 8-inch skewers, soaked in water 

• 3 golden bell peppers, cut into 2x1 inch pieces 

• 2 lemons, quartered 

Zesty Yogurt Spread and Garnish 

• 14oz plain Greek yogurt 

• Juice from 1 lemon

• ¾ teaspoon salt 

• 4 ounces feta, crumbled 

• 2 tablespoons chili oil 

• 2 tablespoons capers

• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

To make the lamb souvlaki, trim the excess fat off of the meat and cut the meat into roughly 2-inch cubes. Place the lamb in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and mix until the meat is completely coated in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (for best results).

Place about 8 to 9 pieces of meat and 3 to 4 pieces of bell pepper per skewer, leaving about an inch empty at each end for gripping. Grill the souvlaki over medium heat until just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Squeeze a lemon quarter over each souvlaki to drizzle with juice. 

For the yogurt spread, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt until smooth. Add a dollop of the yogurt sauce to the serving plate, and top with souvlaki, then the feta, chili oil, capers, and mint leaves.

You can do it all on one big serving dish, or distribute the yogurt and toppings between individual plates of souvlaki.

Burmese Chili American Lamb with Cumin Seed

Recipe provided by | FEASTING AT HOME

Servings: 2-3 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

1 pound American lamb (Leg of Lamb or lamb shoulder), fat and sinew trimmed, thinly sliced, across grain, into ⅛ -¼ inch bite-sized pieces.

2 teaspoons wok or peanut oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds – or use ground cumin

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds ( or regular mustard seeds)

STIR FRY SAUCE

3 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons wok oil or peanut oil

1-2 cups green veggies- snap peas, snow peas, asparagus, green beans

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 an onion, sliced

2 tablespoons garlic, rough chopped

2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeño (= 1 ½ stars) For more heat, add more. (I like 3 Tablespoons)

6 small dried Thai chiles

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes, more to taste

10 Thai basil leaves, plus extra for garnish, ( or use regular basil)

DIRECTIONS

Cut and toss the lamb with the olive oil, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toast the cumin and mustard seeds in a dry wok over medium heat until fragrant and golden. Grind with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Stir the stir fry sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Prep and gather the remaining ingredients and place near the stove.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the lamb and sear both sides until each side is golden. Place the lamb on a paper towel lined bowl or plate.

Add the onion and veggies to the wok and continually stir, over medium high heat until they become slightly charred and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Make a well in the center of the pan, (scooting veggies to the sides) add a few drops of oil and then add the jalapeño and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the Thai chilies and the lamb back into the wok. Toss a few times, heating the lamb back up a little, then pour in the stir-fry sauce and the ground cumin and mustard seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Taste. Sprinkle with chili flakes according to taste. Right before serving toss in Thai basil leaves.

Serve this over rice or on its own.