It took me until my freshman year in college to experiment with lamb recipes. My parents were not big lamb eaters and therefore I didn’t have the opportunity to sample many lamb dishes growing up. Now I know how incredibly sumptuous a moist and tender, warm lamb shank can be on a cool autumn evening.
When you are shopping for lamb you want to look for a cut that is pink to light red in color and not dull or slimy looking. The fat should be white and waxy looking and the bones should be reddish in color and moist. Most cuts of lamb are tender, flavorful and cook quickly. You can choose between shanks, chops, shoulder or leg of lamb.
I prefer to stick with the easiest cuts available as witnessed in the following very easy to prepare recipes. If you are looking to whip up something different for your family this fall consider Grilled Lamb Skewers or a Hearty Lamb Stew to warm up the troops.
GRILLED LAMB SKEWERS
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground lamb
1 cup of onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1 tablespoon of sliced green Serrano chilies
1/2 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into logs that can be placed onto skewers.
Heat and oil grill. Place skewers on grill about 2 inches from the heat source, for about 3 minutes on each side.
HEARTY LAMB STEW
Ingredients:
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots
3 large potatoes
3 medium turnips
1 pound lamb for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of gravy powder
2 tablespoons of All Purpose flour
2 tablespoons of grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon of chopped Parsley
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 package of frozen peas (10 oz.)
Directions:
Cut carrots diagonally into 3/4″ chunks. Peel and cut potatoes and turnips into 1 1/2″ chunks. Remove any fat from the lamb.
In a large pot (or Dutch oven) over a med-high heat, cook the lamb in a small amount of hot oil, sprinkled with salt, until lamb is browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon, remove lamb and place aside.
Cook the celery and onion in the remaining juices until lightly browned. Return lamb to pot; stir in the can of stewed tomatoes, beef broth, and 1 cup water. Over a high heat, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes.
After the lamb has cooked 25 minutes, add the potatoes, carrots, turnips, soy sauce, sugar and gravy powder; over high heat, heat until boiling.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
In cup mix the flour and 2 teaspoons of water until mixed. Stir the flour mixture into meat and vegetables; cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the peas; heat through.
Garnish with lemon peel and chopped parsley.
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