Lamb Cubes Base For Souvlaki Pitas Stews And More Recipes

LAMB SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add cubed lamb and stir until all of the lamb is coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Thread marinated lamb onto skewers, reserving any remaining marinade. Grill skewers until desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes, basting with the reserved marinade and turning occasionally for even cooking.

LAMB SOUVLAKI SKEWERS

Steps:

• Put the lamb into a large bowl or strong food bag. Add the olive oil, wine, oregano, lemon zest and juice, garlic and black pepper - don't add salt yet. Mix together so that all the lamb is completely coated, then chill and marinate for at least a few hrs or overnight.
• Lift the chunks of lamb out of the marinade and thread onto 10 metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked. Freeze (see freezing tips, below), or heat a grill, barbecue or griddle pan if you want to eat them straight away.
• Season the meat with salt, then cook the skewers for 10-12 mins, turning, until cooked to your liking. Serve tucked into warm flatbreads with salad and drizzle with chilli sauce and yogurt.

LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Place the meat in a non-reactive bowl. Mix together the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon oregano, garlic, and grated onion, and pour over the meat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Thread the meat onto metal or bamboo skewers.
• Heat the oil on a griddle or in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, remaining teaspoon oregano and Essence to the griddle and cook light brown, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan.
• Preheat a grill. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Remove from the grill. Quickly heat the pita bread on the grill until just warmed through and pliant. Holding a pita in the left hand, and the skewer in the right hand, pull the contents from the skewer into the pita bread. Repeat with the remaining skewers. Divide the cooked onions among the pita, and top with Tzatziki (cucumber sauce). Serve immediately.
• Put the cucumber in a strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and drain for 1 hour. Put the yogurt in another strainer set over a bowl and drain for 1 hour. Combine the cucumber and yogurt in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

LAMB SKEWER PITAS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, onion, dill, vinegar, cumin, honey, salt, cinnamon, pepper and garlic until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
• Make the lamb skewers: In a large bowl, combine the lamb, oil, coriander, cumin, salt, allspice, cinnamon and garlic until evenly coated. Divide the meat into 6 portions and form into logs. Thread each log onto a skewer, then transfer to a plate, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat until very hot. Brush the griddle with oil. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• To serve: Brush the pitas with oil and sprinkle with the zaatar. Add them to the griddle with the lamb and cook until toasted and warm, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, cilantro, parsley, oregano, onions, tomato and fennel. Add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons oil and toss to combine. Season to taste. Remove the meat from the skewers and place on the pitas; top with some salad. Serve with the lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce.

LAMB CUBES BASE FOR SOUVLAKI, PITAS, STEWS AND MORE

Steps:

• Brown lamb in olive oil.
• Deglaze pot with a little water scraping up browned bits and put all into a crock pot.
• Add other ingredients. Since its a base, I just leave the cloves whole and quarter the onions.
• Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low. I have left it for 12 before, the meat is falling apart tender then but works beautifully.
• Let cool, remove from broth and store in freezer bags if not using immediately. Alternatively let the broth cool and then defat it and add that to some or all bags of meat.
• Take what you need when your craving for a good lamb dish hits.

SOUVLAKI ON PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place the lamb cubes in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine all the marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process to a puree.
• Pour the marinade over the lamb.
• Toss the meat to coat well with the marinade.
• Cover and let marinate for at least 4 hours at room temp or refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare the mayonnaise and/or tzatziki, cover and refrigerate.
• Toss the onion with the vinegar, cover, and refrigerate.
• Wrap the pitas in foil and keep warm in a preheated 350~ oven while you cook the lamb.
• Bring the lamb to room temp.
• Thread the lamb cubes onto the skewers.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
• Place the lamb on the grill and cook, turning them frequently, until the lamb is medium rare, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer the lamb cubes to a warm platter, and remove the lamb from the skewers.
• These can also be broiled.
• Set out the pita breads, lamb, the mayonnaise and/or tzatziki, onion, lettuce, and tomatoes at the table for guests to help themselves.
• Spread some mayonnaise or tzatziki over a pita.
• Distribute a few cubes of lamb on the bread and top with onion, lettuce, and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with a few drops of Tabasco sauce, if desired, roll up the pita, and eat the sandwich out of hand.
• If you use store-bought instead of homemade pocketless pita breads, reheat them before serving.
• To reheat,wrap them in foil in stacks of 2.
• Place the foil-wrapped pita breads in a preheated 400~ oven until they are soft, about 15 minutes.