Recipes
Click the links below to take a look at each recipe!
Lamb Meatloaf
Ingredients:
2-2.5 lbs of ground lamb/sheep
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)
1 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup of whole milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon fish sauce (optional but important)
Some ketchup or tomato paste for icing the loaves
Directions:
Chop onions, carrots, celery very fine (use food processor) and sauté them in butter until soft. Add chili flakes, thyme, pepper and salt and stir. Meanwhile soak bread crumbs in milk.
Have a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex pan ready. Using your hands, mix meat and sautéed veggies, soaked bread, egg, and fish sauce. Form into two loaves and set in the pan with space in between. Ice with ketchup or tomato paste. Add about 1 cup water to the pan (believe me, this is important!) Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve with ketchup, sauerkraut, or ginger carrots.
Indian Spiced Lamb Skewers or Lamburgers
Ingredients:
2 lbs boned-out shoulder or leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1.5 in cubes
1-4 small dried red chilies
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red peppercorns
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Directions:
Split the chilies open and remove and discard the seeds. Place in mortar and pestle with other dry spices and pound into a course powder.
Put lamb in bowl and mix with garlic and oil. Toss with the pounded spices and leave to marinate for 2 hours.
Thread the meat onto 6 long skewers (soak wooden skewers for 30 min. first). Lay the skewers over the hot barbecue. Turn after a couple of minutes, and continue to turn, season with salt. They will take 6-8 minutes to be cooked, but you can cook less for pinker meat. Serve with rice or naan, fruity chutney, cooling raita (yogurt, garlic cucumber, salt, and pepper).
Lamburger Variation:
Use the same quantities of seasonings for 2 lbs of ground lamb, but be cautious with the chilies. Form into 3/4 inch patties and barbeque for 4-5 min on each side. Serve with rice or naan, fruity chutney, cooling raita (yogurt, garlic cucumber, salt, and pepper).
Souvlaki (Greek Kabob or Greek Lamburger)
Ingredients:
2 lbs boned-out shoulder or leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into large cubes (1.5 in)
3 garlic cloves, bashed
Grated lemon zest and juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 bay leaves, broken up
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix lamb with all ingredients except the salt, cover and put in fridge for 6-24 hours.
Divide meat between 6 long skewers (if the skewers are wooden, soak skewers in water for 30 min.) Lay the 6 skewers over the hot barbeque turn every few minutes, basting with marinade sprinkle with salt. They take about 6-9 minutes. Serve pink or well done, but NOT dried out.
Serve with warm pita, homemade hummus, and simple tomato and onion salad.
Lamburger Variation:
Combine exactly the same seasonings with 2 lbs of ground lamb or sheep and mix all together. Leave for an hour to infuse. Form into patties 3/4 in thick and grill, barbeque, or fry the burgers in olive oil for 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve with pita, hummus, and tomato and onion salad.
Barbecued Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
6 lamb chops (can also make kabobs for this with shoulder or leg roast)
Fresh Rosemary
6 garlic cloves, bashed and chopped
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
Black Pepper
Directions:
Bruise the Rosemary by rubbing and strip into bowl. Add garlic, oil, pepper and meat. Toss and leave for at least 2 hours.
Remove meat from the marinade and wipe off some oil. Grill on the barbeque for 3-5 minutes on each side depending on how well done you like your meat.
Serve with Salsa Verde on a split Pita bread.
Salsa Verde ingredients:
1 small garlic clove
Parsley leaves (whole bunch) chopped
15-20 basil leaves
3-4 sprigs of Tarragon
4-5 anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Few drops of lemon juice or vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
Black pepper
Pita Bread for serving
Directions:
Finely chop garlic, add herbs, anchovies, capers and chop all and mix. Transfer into a bowl and mix with mustard, sugar, lemon juice, black pepper, and oil. Tweak the sauce as you go.
The best SAUCE for Riblets or Rack of Lamb!!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 Tablespoon crushed fennel seeds
Salt
Directions:
Heat the oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic cook for 1 minute, and add the remaining ingredients except the salt, stir well and simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Add a little water if it's too thick. Taste for salt and add cayenne to taste.
To use this sauce on Riblets:
Dry Rub ingredients:
1/8 cup salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds
Directions:
Rub the ribs with the dry rub several hours before cooking. Bring the ribs up to room temperature before cooking.
Brown the ribs in a cast iron skillet, pour off the fat, cover the ribs and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours. Uncover the ribs and paint on the sauce! Then either grill or broil the ribs uncovered for 5-10 minutes, turning as needed. Use a meat thermometer to check temperature (don't touch bone). They are ready when the temp is 130-140 degrees depending on how well done you like your meat. If you want, serve with more sauce!
To use this sauce on Rack of Lamb:
Rub the roast with the dry rub several hours before cooking. Bring the roast up to room temperature before cooking.
Cover the bones of the racks with aluminum foil to keep them from burning on the grill. Grill the roast over medium heat for 10 min on one side and 10 minutes on the other side. Paint on the sauce and maybe turn up the heat a tad. Grill for another 2-5 min on each side. Use a meat thermometer to check temperature (don't touch bone). The roast is ready when the temp is 140-145 degrees depending on how well done you like your meat. If you want, serve with more sauce!
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
1 lb of leftover roast lamb (better, but you can use cooked ground lamb/sheep)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Any juice or gravy from the roast or lamb stock
1/2 glass of red wine
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4-5 cups of buttery mashed potatoes (season them to taste)
Salt
Ground pepper
Directions:
Roughly chop the roast lamb/sheep in penny or smaller pieces. Heat the olive oil, and carefully fry the onions, carrots, garlic, celery just until soft. Add the meat tnd fry until the meat is browned. Add the gravy or stock, plus wine, ketchup, Worcestershire and herbs. Simmer for a few minutes and add some water if it seems dry. Taste and season and simmer 20 min.
Add liquid but not to soupy. Pour into pie dish, and pile the mashed potato on top. Use a fork to roughen surface. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until it's a little brown on top. Serve with peas!
Leg of Lamb
Ingredients:
1 Leg of Lamb or Mutton (5-8 lbs)
2-3 cloves of garlic
4-5 anchovy fillets
Several sprigs of rosemary
Olive oil
1 glass of white wine
1 glass of water
Black pepper
Directions:
Put the lamb leg in a roasting pan. With a sharp knife, make slits in the meat about 1 inch deep, about 15 in all. Use your finger to push a piece of garlic, a piece of anchovy, and a piece of rosemary into each slit. Don't worry if they stick out a little. Rub olive oil over the leg and put into a very hot oven, 450 degrees for 1/2 hour.
Pour the glass of wine over the leg and turn down the oven to 325 degrees and roast for 1-2 hours depending how pink you like your lamb.
10 min before the lamb is done, pour the glass of water into the bottom of roasting pan. Then remove the leg from the pan when it's done and allow it to rest in a warm spot for 20 min.
Adjust the juices in the roasting plan with wine, seasoning, red currant jelly, or make into gravy. Carve the Leg right in the roasting pan so the thick slices mingle with the juices.
Frank’s Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground sheep or lamb
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (Italian flavored is better)
2 cloves of garlic (more if you LOVE it)
1 teaspoon dried basil (fresh wonderful)
1 teaspoon salt (or less)
Black pepper
1/4 cup fresh (never dried) parsley, chopped fine
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon fish sauce or 4 finely chopped anchovies (optional)
1/2 cup sautéed and very finely chopped onions/carrots/celery (optional)
1 quart of tomato sauce
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together. If the mixture is too wet, add bread crumbs, or if it is too dry, add a little milk or soak some bread in milk to add in.
Frank, my Poppy, rolls the meatballs and fries them before adding them to the sauce. Some people bake them. My mother Angela puts the meatballs into the sauce raw and slowly cook them. I add the fish and sautéed veggies to my meatballs for fun.
Make the meatballs medium sized because giant meatballs don't cook well or they fall apart. Be very gentle when you stir the sauce, just don't burn it.
If you pre-fry the meatballs, they don't need to cook long. Take one out after 20 minutes of simmering in the sauce and check the inside for pinkness. Cooking them too long can make them tough, so serve and enjoy!