If your home is in Europe, Asia, the British Isles or the Middle-East, you surely enjoy lamb dishes. However, to my American family, friends and acquaintances, lamb is not a really big favorite.
In fact, I wouldn’t invite any of my fellow citizens to a meal of lamb without first asking if they would enjoy it; many Americans don't.
As further evidence, I submit that were you to visit an American supermarket and roam the meat aisle, you’d see a very small portion of it devoted to lamb; easy to find chicken, beef and pork, but lamb is almost always just sort of squeezed in between beef steaks and pork chops encompassing a fraction of the space the others occupy.
Visit one of our libraries or a retail book store and see if you can find a single recipe collection devoted to lamb.
So, why am I offering a “Lamb page” on my American website? Because those of you who do know what wonderful meals can be created around it deserve a selection of quick and easy recipes from a fellow lamb lover. That’s right, there are many alternatives to oven-roasting a leg of lamb.
Please, take a stroll…sorry, I mean, “scroll”… down the page and see whereof I speak. (Bet you’ve never seen, “whereof I speak”, on a recipe site before, have you? Please don’t hold it against me.)
Heat chicken broth to boiling; lower heat, add the onion, green pepper, celery and apple; simmer 8 minutes, or just until tender. Add curry powder, salt and the lamb and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and water to make a smooth pasty mixture, and stir into the simmering curry/lamb until thickened.Done.
Kashmiri Kofta Kari (Lamb Meatballs)
Serves 6-8This easy lamb recipe from Kashmir should really be on my “World” page but, really, most lamb recipes would be there if I were strict about such things since that’s where most lamb recipes belong. Why, you ask? Ok, even if you didn’t ask, it’s because Americans are not into lamb like they are other meats. Now you know.
2 lb ground lamb
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
2 tsp finely chopped gingerroot
2 tsp each ground cumin & coriander
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each garam masala & chili powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Mix the first 8 ingredients together, and shape into ovals, about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick.
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet until hot. Cook and stir cardamom and cinnamon only about 10 seconds; reduce heat to medium and gently stir in the meatballs, or should I say, ‘meatovals”. Cook uncovered, turning occasionally, until they brown, about 10-12 minutes; drain off the fat.
Mix water and 1/4 cup yogurt; pour over meatballs in skillet and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 8-10 minutes. Remove cardamom and cinnamon. Done.
Quick Lamb Stew
Serves 4 As I mentioned at the top of the page, here in America lamb gets less respect than in most other countries. Maybe it’s a carry-over from those old western movies where the cattle ranchers abuse the sheep ranchers for using up the grazing land. My point, and I do have one, is that lamb cut for stew may not always be found in that small section of the meat case where lamb is displayed; so when you find it or can talk a meat-cutter into making some, buy it and create this easy and hardy dish.
1 lb lamb cut for stew
4 medium carrots, cut in strip
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 envelope onion soup mix
3 Tbsp flour
2 & 1/4 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
Cut meat into 1-inch cubes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until nicely browned.
Mix the cooked lamb with the rest of the other ingredients in a 2 & 1/2 qt glass casserole. Cover and microwave on high until boiling, 10 to 12 minutes; remove,stir and replace in the nuker, covered, for about 10 minutes more.
Cover, let rest 5 minutes then microwave until vegetables are tender,10 to 12 minutes more, stirring every 5 minutes.
Serves 4Who ever heard of a “quick” casserole? Well, this is one and if there are only 2 eaters you’ll enjoy it even more as a leftover the next day. Why? It’ll taste just as good, and you can just heat it up; how’s that for quick and easy?
6 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
salt & black pepper
1 eggplant (about 1 lbd), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 oz cream cheese, plain
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Heat the broiler. In a large stainless-steel frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the lamb and cook until the meat loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomato paste, tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, 3/4 tsp each salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the remaining oil and season with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Place the slices on a large baking sheet and broil, 6 inches from the heat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and do the other side, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile (can you have two ”meanwhiles”? Sure.), in a small saucepan, combine the cream cheese, milk, a bit more salt and pepper and warm over low heat until just melted.
Oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Layer half the eggplant in the dish, then half the meat sauce. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, meat sauce, and Parmesan.
Spoon the cream-cheese sauce on top; broil until just starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Done. It’s even better the next day.
Gyros - Sort of
Makes about 4 pita sandwichesUnless you live in a pretty big city it's almost impossible to find "gyros", the wonderful Greek specialty that is sliced from a vertical rotisserie and stuffed into a pita with tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. The closest you'll come is frozen stuff that's fried on the grill. If you have to live with a substitute for the real thing you might find this a good one you can make yourself.
2 lb lean ground lamb
2 slices “bakery-type” bread, toasted & crumbled
1 tsp each allspice & coriander seed, crushed
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 onion, grated
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
salt & ground pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, combine it all and nix well, kneading until the mixture is really stiff.
Form little loaves about 5-inches long and 2-inches across. Place on skewers spacing about 1-inch apart and cook over hot coals or gas fire for 10 to 15 minutes, turning frequently until cooked through – “rare” is not an option here.
Cool for a few minutes then slice lengthwise into thin strips like the real thing. Stick ‘em inside a pita half with chopped tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce (check my sauce page) and eat ‘em up, yum, yum.
Click here for tzatziki, sauce, chimichurra sauce and a bunch of others
And click here for more recipes from around the world
Lamb Chops with Real Mint Sauce
Serves 4Sure, you know that lamb and mint jelly is traditional, but try them with this super-easy, super-tasty combination of real mint and shallots. Try it next time you find those chops on sale and you might forget mint jelly forever.
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
5 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
8 l-inch-thick lamb chops (about 2 lb)
Heat oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, combine the mint, shallot, vinegar, 3 Tbsp of the oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the lamb with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. In batches, brown the chops, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a baking sheet. Roast for about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Done.
Click here for some more great sauces
Casablanca Burgers
Serves 4"What's your point with the title of this recipe?"
Okay, the ingredients are pretty exotic for a burger, right? I just think they deserve an exotic title; and that's my point. I think you'll find the burger as tasty as it is exotic. Here's looking at you, Sweetheart.
1 & 1/2 lb ground lamb
2 Tbsp harissa (see my
Sauce Page)
or red chili paste
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp each ground coriander and ground cumin
2 pinches cinnamon
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp E.V. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably Greek-style)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint (a generous handful)
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
8 oz coleslaw mix
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 crusty rolls, split
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Combine the first 7 ingredients. Form into 4-inch patties and drizzle with oil. Grill the patties for about 7 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare .
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mint, scallions and 1/2 tsp salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 3 Tbsp of oil and the vinegar. Add the cole slaw mix and red onion and toss; season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a mound of slaw on each roll bottom, then top with a burger, yogurt sauce and a roll top. Serve extra slaw on the side.