Beautifully Bouncy Lamb Meatballs

Time is short and the work list is long as we get ready to head up to Sonoma for the Dry Creek Passport event (you can read more about it in last year's post), but I squeezed out enough time to finish this lamb meatball video recipe.

It tasted great, but I put in way too much breadcrumb, and as you'll see the results were extremely bouncy balls. The ingredient amounts below are the new and improved quantities in case you want to try these.

Speaking of being busy, I'll apologize in advance for blowing off your emails and/or comments until this event is over on Monday. I'll try to keep up, but if you are ignored, try again next week when things return to normal. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chopped mint
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
red pepper flakes

View the complete recipe

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Shanks for Everything - Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Rosemary

There are some recipes that require absolutely zero technique. This video recipe for super-simple, stick-to-your-ribs, slow-roasted lamb shanks is a perfect example. You add like three ingredients, wrap them up, and a couple hours later you are enjoying succulent, fork-tender lamb.

It almost seems too good to be true, and you keep trying to think if you missed something, but you didn't. The shanks do almost everything for you. Lamb shanks, and all shanks for that matter, are loaded with connective tissue that melts during the slow roasting and creates that rich, sticky, satisfying texture and flavor.

When buying lamb shanks, look for ones that are the same size. The foreshanks are smaller than the hindshanks, so be sure the butcher isn’t giving you some of each. These are so delicious that guests will fight over who gets the big shank, and it could get ugly. Enjoy!


PLEASE NOTE: ABOUT.COM NO LONGER SUPPORTS EMBEDED VIDEO...Click here TO SEE VIDEO AND for ingredients and recipe transcript.

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Nice Rack of Lamb - A Classic Roast Rack of Lamb with Dijon Gratin

I know times are tough, but if you can somehow scrape together enough money for a couple racks of lamb, you'll have yourselves a very merry holiday roast. Rack of lamb isn't cheap, but when compared with other special occasion items like prime rib, tenderloin, duck, goose, etc., it's about the same price, and you have almost no waste.

If you can swing buying local lamb, more power to you, but for most of us, trimmed rack of lamb will be coming from Australia or New Zealand. The good news is the meat is usually excellent quality, and very consistently sized.

This means you can achieve a nice medium-rare doneness relying mainly on time, and not feel. There is something terrifying to the average home cook when forced to poke meat to tell if it's done or not.

The recipe here is a classic fancy hotel presentation; the rack is roasted, topped with Dijon mustard and breadcrumb crust. Since the lamb is "Frenched," which means the fat between the rib bones is trimmed out, this is a very easy to crave roast, as you just cut between the bones and serve. Enjoy!

* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!

Click here for ingredients and recipe transcript.

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Shepherd's Pie - the Opposite of Baker's Lamb Chops

I've never been a shepherd, but I have done a fair amount of mentoring. As hungry as that made me, I can only imagine the appetite a shepherd must build up after a long day of chasing sheep (not to mention how sleepy they must get when they have to do inventory). So, it's no wonder this incredibly comforting casserole called shepherd's pie was named in their honor.

Fair warning; this video recipe is another entry in the Kraft cooking video challenge, and is dripping with enough product placement to make Will Smith cringe. Notwithstanding my shameless attempt to win some corporate cash (I'm doing it for all the Nico's out there), this really is a good recipe with its combination of ease, frugality, and homey goodness.

Shepherd's pie recipes are traditionally done with lamb, but are great with any ground meat - turkey and beef being the most popular modern versions. Give this great casserole a try, and watch everyone flock to the table. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth or stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ketchup (or Kraft red pepper dressing!)
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrot, corn), thawed and drained well
1 1/4 lb gold or red potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

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This Lamb is My Lamb, This Lamb is Your Lamb… Grilled Lamb Chops with Orange and Fresh Mint Sauce

As you know I'm big on cooking fresh, local food whenever possible. But, there are times when you have to make exceptions, and these lamb chops are a great example. While browsing the local market I saw a sale on Australian lamb chops. They were perfectly trimmed, exactly the same thickness, and neatly packaged in one-pound containers. These lamb chops are basically the same cut as a beef T-bone steak, with a strip loin on one side, and a tenderloin on the other. In this chef's opinion, they are the ultimate cut for grilled lamb.

I decided on a mish-mash of Mediterranean herbs and spices, with the secret ingredient being a small dash of cinnamon. There is something about cinnamon that really pairs perfectly with grilled lamb. I also love mint jelly on grilled lamb, but I have a reputation to worry about, so instead of the green stuff in the glass jar, I made a quick, homemade version that you will love. This was the best tasting lamb I've had in a long time, and while it wasn't local, it was damn good. Enjoy!



Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb loin chops
3 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried mixed herbs - Italian, Greek, or French blend
salt as needed

Sauce:
1/4 cup orange marmalade
pinch of hot chili flakes
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chopped mint

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Last Night We Had a Little Lamb

Once in a while, even though I know it would make a great video, I just can't bring myself to film a meal. Making a video can turn the most enjoyable recipe into a tiring tangle of timers, wires, and angles. I'm forced to use a part of the brain that's in charge of "getting the shot," and artistic expression be damned.

Last night was one of those meals. It was truly delicious, and while I didn't film it, guilt forced me to at least photo it, in hopes of inspiring you next time you're trying to decide what to throw on the grill.

Lamb loins were marinated in garlic, fennel seed, and rosemary. A few hours later, they were grilled over charcoal, to a perfectly rosy medium-rare. Finger-sized carrots were roasted tender in a slow oven with a few drips of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of brown sugar. Split pita bread was filled with fresh mozzarella, and a squeeze of harissa (a spicy North African tomato/chili sauce). These "hot pockets" were grilled over the coals, while the lamb was resting. The slightly crisp, and smoky exterior was a perfect envelope for the warm, gooey cheese. The cold sauce was a simple plain Greek yogurt, spiked with more harissa, lemon, and fresh mint. Enjoy!

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Mary Had a Little Lamb Pita, It's Tahini Sauce was Not Quite as White as Snow

Can you imagine someone not familiar with a certain nursery rhyme, trying to figure out this post's title? This video recipe for a Shawarma-Style Lamb Pita was made especially with home cooks in mind. Real Shawarma (which means "turn"), is barbecued slowly on a large rotisserie, and the meat is shaved off as it cooks. This version uses the slightly more common frying pan.

Another compromise is the pita bread we stuff the spiced lamb into. The real deal is rolled up in flatbread. If you look hard enough, you can find soft, fresh flatbread at the higher-end grocery stores (tip: look for parking lots with lots of imports). But, the pita bread works fine, and is very easy to find.

I also show you how to make a simple tahini dressing in the clip, which is a very nice thing to have around. It's exotic, nutty goodness makes it a great "secret" ingredient for salad dressings, as well as a quick condiment for other grilled meats. So, next time you're craving something easy, exotic, and completely un-authentic, give these Shawarma-style lamb pitas a try. Enjoy!
Click here for ingredients and transcript

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Shepherd’s Pie “Moussaka” – A Culinary “Mash-up” of two Old World Classics

For those of you that aren’t hip (like me…I don’t have an iPod which automatically makes me not hip), a “mash-up” usually refers to a DJ taking two different songs and mixing and “mashing” them together to produce a new musical creation. My personal favorite, the Jay Z/Linkin Park mash-up MTV did a few years ago. If you haven’t heard any of that, and you’re under 60 years old (Hi, Mom), then check it out, it’s great stuff. Big Pimpin for real. Anyway, in that same spirit of combining two great things to make a new even greater thing, I present today’s video recipe clip.

I love classic Greek “Moussaka.” Layers of lamb and eggplant, exotically spiced and topped with a rich, almost custard-like sauce. I also love a good Shepherd’s Pie, what’s not to like about a pie made out of ground meat and mashed potatoes? So, I thought I would try a Shepherd’s Pie using the flavor components of the Greek “Moussaka.” Did it work? Damn right! It was really good, and next to a green salad, made for a very satisfying supper on a foggy San Francisco night.

A few suggestions before you watch the clip. The potato topping I do is relatively bland since I was topping a very highly seasoned meat base. You should use my spice amounts below as a rough guide, and add the cumin, cinnamon and hot pepper in increments until you have something that tastes right to you. The lamb and eggplant mixture is NOT subtlety spiced in this dish, and the ingredient amounts reflect that fact. This dish should explode with exotic and aromatic flavor. To me that’s what makes the “crispy and browned on the top, but moist and tender underneath” potato topping such a great contrast. And don’t forget the fresh mint. As you hear me say in the clip, I used chocolate mint, which you can find at the better garden centers (or order the seeds online – it’s an amazing herb), but plain supper market mint will work beautifully. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 lbs ground lamb
2 eggplant
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
3 russet potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter
salt to taste
1 egg
fresh mint
2 tbl olive oil
Spice Mix:
2 bay leaves
3 tbl ground cumin
1 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 tbl black pepper
1 tbl salt (at least, taste and adjust)
2 tbl herb de provance (or Italian or Greek dried herb mix)
1 tbl paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
*Baked at 400F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

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