Spice Rubbed Lamb Skewers With Herb Yogurt Sauce Recipes

SPICE-RUBBED LAMB SKEWERS WITH HERB-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Slice lamb into 12 strips, each 1/2-inch thick, about 2 inches wide and 4 to 6 inches long. Place in a dish and rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Mix paprika, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt together and rub over meat. Cover and set aside for 4 hours at room temperature. Place 12 8-inch bamboo skewers in water.
• Mince garlic and herbs by hand or machine. Place in a serving bowl and add yogurt and 2 tablespoons oil. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons cold water to thin to saucelike consistency. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add salt to taste. Refrigerate.
• About 30 minutes before serving, heat grill or broiler. Heat remaining oil in a skillet, add onion and sauté over medium heat until just starting to brown. Place in a serving dish.
• Thread meat on skewers and sear quickly on grill or broiler, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes a side for medium-rare to medium. Arrange on a platter, lightly toast cut sides of pita breads on grill or under broiler. Arrange in a basket. Serve kebabs with pita, onions and sauce.

SPICE-RUBBED LAMB RACK WITH YOGURT AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Make the spice rub: Combine the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. In a small bowl, mix the freshly ground spices with the paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat a grill to medium high and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the hot coals to one side and leave the other half empty. For a gas grill, preheat all the burners, then turn off half the burners and keep the others on medium-high heat.
• Grill the lamb: Coat the lamb with the olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Grill over direct heat, turning as needed, until browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to indirect heat (the unlit side of the grill); cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb registers 125 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, mix the labne, olive oil, herbs, Aleppo pepper, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt, black pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Carve the lamb racks and serve with the yogurt sauce.

YOGURT-AND-HERB-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with one rack in top third and one in bottom third. Set a wire rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine oil, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cook over medium until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process with zest and parsley until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl; stir in breadcrumbs and lemon juice. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt and mustard; season with salt.
• Place lamb, skin-side down, on a work surface and pound with a mallet to an even thickness of about 1 1/4 inches. Arrange loose ends to create a rough rectangle; season with salt. Spread 1/2 cup yogurt mixture evenly over surface, then half of breadcrumb mixture. Starting at ragged short end, tightly roll lamb into a cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals; insert 2 skewers crosswise through lamb to help hold shape, if desired. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; season all over with salt.
• Increase oven heat to broil; broil lamb on top rack, flipping halfway through, until fat is golden brown, about 2 minutes a side. Reduce temperature to 450 degrees and roast 20 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 400 degrees. Remove twine from lamb, leaving skewers in place. Spread remaining yogurt mixture thickly over top and sides of lamb. Press remaining breadcrumb mixture into yogurt. Roast on bottom rack until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of lamb registers 135 degrees for medium-rare, 40 to 60 minutes more, depending on diameter of roll. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 20 minutes before carving with a very sharp knife. Serve, with lemon wedges.

LAMB KABOBS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a shallow dish; add lamb and turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 15 minutes., Pour 1 tablespoon marinade into a small bowl. Stir in yogurt; cover and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. Drain and discard marinade from lamb. On two metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread lamb, mushrooms and zucchini., Grill kabobs, covered, over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until lamb reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), basting frequently with reserved marinade. Serve with couscous and yogurt mixture.

DRY SPICE RUB FOR LAMB OR BEEF

Steps:

• Mix together the paprika, thyme, basil, cumin, and curry powder, if desired, in a small bowl. When ready to use, evenly sprinkle a light coating onto lamb or beef and pat into surface of the meat. For the most flavorful results, season meat and place in a resealable plastic bag; refrigerate 2 hours before cooking.

LAMB KEBABS WITH YOGURT-CILANTRO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the kebabs: In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until very soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool.
• In a small bowl, pour milk over bread and let soak 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine lamb, feta, cilantro, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, egg, cooked onion mixture, and bread mixture. Use your hands to mix gently until combined (do not overmix). Refrigerate until chilled.
• Divide meat mixture into 4 equal portions, then form each portion around a 3/4-inch-wide flat metal skewer, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at each end. Transfer kebabs to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled or up to overnight.
• Preheat grill for direct-heat cooking (or a grill pan over medium-high). Brush grates with oil. Grill kebabs, turning as needed, until cooked through and charred in spots, and a thermometer inserted into the center reaches 140 degrees (medium-rare), 6 to 8 minutes.
• Make the sauce: Combine yogurt, cilantro, and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl. Season with salt; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with cayenne before serving.

SPICED LAMB SKEWERS WITH LEMONY ONIONS

Steps:

• Season lamb with salt and pepper. Add cumin and turmeric and toss to coat. (This can be done up to 24 hours ahead, if you like.)
• If you're using a charcoal grill, build the fire so it's screaming hot. This lamb is to be cooked hot and fast so it can stay nicely medium-rare, so the hotter the better. If you're using a gas grill, set it on high. Bring a clean platter, cutting board or baking dish out to the grill for the skewers to rest in after cooking.
• Combine onion, sumac (if using) and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.
• Combine yogurt and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Skewer the lamb onto wooden or metal skewers, 2 to 4 pieces per skewer.
• Once the grill is hot, cook the skewers on all sides until deeply browned and lightly charred all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side (less time for smaller pieces), moving the skewers around as needed to prevent excessive flare-ups. (If you've trimmed most of the fat away from the lamb, the flare-ups shouldn't be too bad.)
• Transfer the skewers to the platter, cutting board or baking dish to rest for a few minutes and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with the dressed onions, lemony yogurt, cilantro, olives, lavash and any pickled vegetables or peppers you like.

LAMB SKEWERS WITH SPICY YOGURT DRESSING

Steps:

• The day before serving, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until translucent, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess oil.
• Break the ground lamb up into a bowl. Add the onions, scallions, garlic, mint, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to serve, soak 16 six-inch wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. (This helps prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.) Preheat a grill (high heat).
• Divide the lamb mixture into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 1-inch diameter log, approximately 3-inches long. Thread each piece lengthwise onto a skewer.
• Grill lamb to medium rare, turning once, about 5 minutes. Serve with Spicy Yogurt Dressing.
• To make the dressing: Mix the yogurt, cayenne, and mint in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with the lamb skewers.

HERBED LAMB KEBABS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the lamb shoulder across the grain in thin slices with a sharp knife, flatten the slices between sheets of plastic wrap until they are 1/8 inch thick, and cut them into 1-inch-wide strips.
• In a saucepan whisk together the lemon juice, the thyme, the rosemary, the oregano, the pepper, and the salt, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the marinate until it is emulsified. Add the lamb strips, stir the mixture to coat the strips well with the marinade, and thread them onto the skewers, reserving the remaining marinade. Arrange the kebabs on the rack of a broiling pan, broil them under a preheated broiler about 3 inches from the heat, turning them once, for 6 minutes, and transfer them to a plate. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the juice from the broiler pan to the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the yogurt and salt and pepper to taste, and spoon the sauce over the kebabs.

ROAST RACK OF LAMB WITH HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix rosemary, pepper and salt; rub over lamb. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Place lamb in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up; drizzle with oil., Roast 35-45 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°). Remove lamb from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before serving., Meanwhile, place herbs, shallots and garlic in a food processor; pulse until herbs are chopped. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper; process until blended. Continue processing while gradually adding oil in a steady stream. Serve lamb with sauce.