Lamb Meatballs Recipe

Nothing is more disappointing than a soggy french fry. There are lots of things I don’t just like crispy but extra crispy. Toast, onion rings, pizza crust, potato chips, breaded cutlets, pie crust, streusel. I could go on and on. And is there anything better than the crispy edges of a roast? I’m the one who wants a rare slice from the middle and a crusty slice from the end of the roast—beef, pork or lamb. There are lots of ingredients for making food crispy and many of them contain gluten, and one of them is naturally gluten free, cream of rice. Cream of rice is finely ground rice that cooks very quickly. It can be used as a hot cereal but also in recipes like this one for baked rice custard that I plan on experimenting with shortly. When used in meatballs it absorbs moisture but also helps to create a lovely crisp texture to the surface of the meatballs. I like beef meatballs to be delicate and tender made light with ricotta or moist bread crumbs, but lamb meatballs are reall......

Continue reading

Marinated Lamb Loin Chops Recipe

It's traditional to serve leg of lamb or a crown roast for special occasions, but there are other cuts of lamb that are perfect for any old time, like lamb chops. Lamb loin chops are low in fat and an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc and selenium. Best of all, lamb loin chops are super easy to prepare. You can grill them, broil them or cook them in a skillet in just minutes. Sometimes simpler is better. There are recipes loading lamb chops up with ingredients such as herbs, bread crumbs, mustard and blue cheese or smothering them in rich wine sauces studded with dried fruit. But for a weeknight meal, you really can't go wrong with marinated lamb chops. My basic marinade uses balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. I like Worcestershire sauce because it has lots of umami and boosts the mild yet meaty flavor of American lamb. Because they are so tender and succulent, I serve just one 4-5 ounce loin chop per person. The American Lamb Boar......

Continue reading

Easy & Impressive--Leg of Lamb

Looking at the recipe index on this site, I realize I have only written one lamb recipe. That's a shame. I like lamb a lot. I think it's a well-kept secret that lamb is actually very easy to cook. I used to have a friend who made leg of lamb every time she threw a dinner party. People thought she was a fabulous cook, but really, leg of lamb was ALL she knew how to cook! When the American Lamb Board offered to send me some local lamb I was more than happy to accept. When it arrived I was a bit overwhelmed. It was boneless leg of lamb, but over seven pounds. Fortunately I had a good friend to help guide me, master of all things meaty, Biggles over at Meathenge . His suggestion was as follows: Why don't you try a meat puzzle? Take a look and see if you can get 2 little roasts and some kebob action out of it? 2-2 pound roasts and the rest for kebobs? This turned out to be great advice. Indeed, it was easy to trim the fat, find the membranes and natural points at which......

Continue reading

Pomegranate Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber Salad Recipe

It's that time again! Is my blog burning is a virtual event created by a fellow blogger Alberto who came up with the idea of many people cooking versions on a single theme in the space of a day. There have been IMBB events on themes such as tartines , rice dishes , and cakes among other things. This time around it's Grillers Delight . I've written about pomegranate before, but I've never actually used pomegranate syrup. I've been thinking it would be good to marinate lamb with but I only had ground lamb in the freezer. I couldn't find any recipes for ground lamb and pomegranate so I improvised. I made Middle Eastern inspired lamb kebabs and a tomato, cucumber and sumac salad. Pomegranate syrup is pretty easy to find in markets locally and one Lebanese brand Cortas is rather inexpensive. I bought a bottle for only $1.79. It is very thick and syrupy, a rich dark color and more tangy and astringent than sweet. It's very good with lamb since lamb can......

Continue reading