Confession: Despite my kitchen prowess, somehow lamb intimidates me a little. There are no childhood memories to draw on other than visits to other relatives who chose to put other things in their pots and cooked an entire leg of lamb in their ovens instead. I will admit that the scent of a baked leg of lamb is like no other on earth and yes, I will learn the secrets to this dish, I promise! Other than the proverbial (and sometimes obligatory) lamb chops tasted at various media functions (and the occasional trek for some barbecued lamb and fries in the east), I am a lamb virgin when it comes to cooking the meat. Before writing this, I decided to confer with a fellow home cook (and working mom) who had her own experiences with lamb. Here's what she had to say: "Lamb is a delicious, tender type of meat, but it tends to release a lot of liquid during cooking. I'd advise anyone when they are doing it to use a method that will allow the liquid to drip off. If you're roasting the lamb in the oven, you should place it on a roasting pan with a drip tray. Also, it's best eaten hot." (Thanks so much, my dear!) In the meantime, this week's offerings were taken from the World Wide Web, and are for two lamb treatments that I shall surely try as well. The first is Geera lamb (courtesy the blog Tastum Goodum), and this fellow uses the lamb shoulder to create 'cutters', similarly to how we enjoy some geera pork, and perfect for a drinking lime. The second is that heavenly creation I mentioned above, the roast leg of lamb, and this particular recipe really resonated with me because my late grandmother had a similar treatment for beef. So, get your knives and burners ready, and have a wonderful time cooking!
(courtesy Tastum Goodum)
Estimated cooking time: 60 minutes to marinate,
45 minutes to cook. (Serves 4-5 persons)
Ingredients
2 2.5 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons ground roasted geera
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon amchar masala
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 pimento peppers, chopped
1 habanero pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 leaves chadon beni, chopped
Method
1. Wash lamb with water and vinegar.
2. Strain and place in large bowl.
3. Add lemon juice, mix well.
4. Add geera, curry, masala, paprika, turmeric,
salt and black pepper and mix in thoroughly.
5. Allow to marinate for 1 hour.
6. In hot skillet or thick pot, heat oil.
7. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
8. Add lamb and turn a few times, then add the
habanero and pimento peppers
9. Cover pot, reduce heat and cook for 40-45 minutes;
check and turn every 10-15 minutes to ensure that
it does not dry out too much and burn.
10. Add chadon beni 5 minutes before switching
off stove.
Roast leg of lamb
(Serves 4 to 6 persons)
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
1 to 2 cloves garlic, cut in several slivers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method
1. Rinse lamb with cold water; pat dry
with a clean cloth or paper towels.
2. With a small knife, make several tiny slits evenly
over the lamb roast and insert slivers of the garlic.
Rub lamb with lemon juice, then combine the
minced garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Rub the garlic-herb mixture over the lamb.
Place the leg, fat side up, on a rack in the
roasting pan.
4. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of
the meat, not touching fat or bone.
5. Roast in a preheated 325°F oven for about
25 to 30 minutes per pound, or until meat
thermometer registers 145° to 165°, depending
on how well you like it done.
Serve this tasty leg of lamb with mashed potatoes and fresh cooked vegetables.
