Lamb Grinder Recipes

GRANDMOTHER'S LAMB RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the cumin seeds into a dry skillet over medium heat, and toast them, stirring constantly, until they give off a roasted fragrance and turn a darker brown, about 1 minute. Scrape the seeds into a bowl, and allow to cool. When cool, grind them with a mortar and pestle or a clean spice grinder. Set the ground seed aside.
• Remove stems of chiles if necessary, and soak pods in the apple cider vinegar in a bowl until soft, at least 1 hour. Place the softened chiles with vinegar, cumin, and garlic into a blender or food processor, and pulse until ground into a paste, 30 seconds to 1 minute or as needed.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook and stir the onions until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in ginger garlic paste and about 1 teaspoon of the Grandmother's Chile Paste mixture or as desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and fry the onions with the spice pastes for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in tomato paste, ground red pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves, and bring to a simmer. Cook to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
• Mix in the lamb shank pieces, and stir in salt to taste; simmer for 20 minutes, and stir in the water. Bring the lamb and sauce to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until lamb is very tender and sauce has thickened, 45 more minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro to serve.

LAMB GRINDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried rosemary, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and lemon pepper together in a small bowl.
• Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Rub with lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce on all sides and between any crevices. Sprinkle with kosher salt mixture and rub over all sides. Pour white wine, chicken stock, 4 crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, capers, and anchovies into the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and roast lamb in the preheated oven until tender but still pink in the center, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C).
• Remove lamb to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly before slicing. Transfer meat to a large bowl and toss with some of the pan juices to keep it moist. Reserve remaining pan juices.
• Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Mix sour cream, horseradish, mustard, and garlic basil spread in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook and stir onions until they soften and begin to turn golden, about 12 minutes. Pour in Marsala wine and cook until reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Stir mushrooms, Kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and red pepper flakes into onion mixture; cook and stir until mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Add lamb slices and reserved pan juices. Cook, stirring to combine, until heated through, about 10 minutes.
• Spread each hoagie bun with horseradish sauce. Spoon lamb mixture into buns and top each sandwich with 1/4 of the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, Asiago cheese, and feta cheese. Serve with remaining pan juices for dipping.

MELISSA KELLY'S RUBBED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine the salt, oregano, rosemary, caraway, cumin and turmeric in a mortar, spice grinder or blender, and process until fairly well ground. Transfer to a small dish, and work in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, plus the garlic and the harissa or tomato paste mixture. Rub the lamb with the mixture, and set aside to marinate at room temperature, at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Shortly before serving, heat a heavy ovenproof saute pan on top of the stove and brush with remaining olive oil. Add the lamb, and sear for a couple of minutes on each side. Turn the lamb so it sits bone side up, and place the pan with the lamb in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare. Carve each rack into four double chops.

LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. If the butcher has not already removed the fell (parchmentlike membrane) from the lamb leg, trim it away along with all excess fat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make 15 or so small incisions in the leg, spacing them evenly.
• Place the garlic, lavender, and thyme in a small food processor and pulse until you have a thick paste. Poke a bit of the paste into each of the incisions in the lamb. Place the salt, peppercorns, dried rosemary, and herbes de Provence in a spice grinder and pulse until you have a coarse mix. Rub the mix all over the lamb, covering it evenly. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast the lamb for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to roast for about 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part away from the bone registers 130°F for rare, 140° to 145°F for medium-rare, or 160°F for well-done. Cooking times will vary depending on the shape of the lamb and the consistent heat of your oven. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• Carve the lamb parallel to the bone in long, thin slices and arrange the slices on a platter. Transfer the warm sauce to a sauceboat and serve immediately.