"My dinners at home are startlingly simple," Marilyn Monroe once said in an interview with Pageant Magazine. "Every night, I stop at the market near my hotel and pick up a steak, lamb chops or some liver, which I broil in the electric oven in my room. I usually eat four or five raw carrots with my meat, and that is all. I must be part rabbit; I never get bored with raw carrots."
I used to resist cooking lamb—maybe because it was never a part of my diet growing up—until I read that interview. I thought to myself: If Marilyn could subsist on the other red meat, then I could too. Surely it must be worthy enough to forgive the raw carrots (which I hate).
It may be that lamb has yet to fully make its way into the home cook's kitchen in the States, not least because it can be more expensive than beef and often harder to find. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, for instance, I remember how hard it was to get my hands on lamb in any form at my local grocery store. Thank goodness it's more readily available now, and that more and more Americans are acquiring a taste for it—because when cooked well, lamb can be really delicious.
What's important to know about lamb is that it's really not so different than beef. And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle.
It comes out perfectly every time.
1. Herb & Mustard-Crusted Rack of Lamb
This simply prepared (it's rubbed in a paste of just Dijon mustard, garlic, and herbs) rack of lamb is best served with equally unfussy vegetable sides, like grilled asparagus or baby artichokes.
2. "Greek" Lamb with Orzo
This contest-winning lamb recipe calls on pantry staples—like spices, canned tomatoes, olives, and orzo pasta—to create a feast-worthy dish that, flavor-wise, is so much more than the sum of its parts.
3. Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki & Arugula
We promise you won't miss the beef in this extra-juicy lamb burger slathered in a minty-garlicky yogurt sauce (aka tzatziki) and piled high with fresh, peppery arugula.
4. Rack of Lamb with Parmesan-Herb Crust
Described as "fabulous" and "amazing," this rack of lamb gets an extra one-two-punch bonus of flavor and texture thanks to the Parmesan-herb crust.
5. Pomegranate Roast Lamb
Make the most of pomegranate season by taking them the savory route in this roast lamb; it'll fit in just about anywhere, from a cozy fall dinner to a wintry weekend supper.
6. Lamb Stew with Butternut Squash
Speaking of cooler weather, when the temperatures are low, you'll want to add this hearty, soul-warming lamb stew with chunks of butternut squash to your rotation.
7. Lemon-Oregano Leg of Lamb
This leg of lamb will stand out as a showstopping centerpiece on any dinner table, giving no indication that it was actually quite easy to prepare.
8. Lamb Meatballs With Yogurt Sauce
Perfect for parties or picnics, these bite-size lamb meatballs with an herby yogurt dipping sauce are impossible to eat just one of.
Written by: Eric Kim
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4 Comments
I'm now in my early sixties and I have a few simple tried and true recipes that we always fall back on. If we are cooking for the masses then I will slow cook a lamb shoulder which I simply salt, pepper and sprinkle with dried oregano and drizzle with olive oil and place on a trivet of halved garlic heads. Add some water and cover loosely with baking paper and then cover the whole pan with foil. Bake for 7 and a half hours at 140/150 degrees celsius then remove foil and baking paper and cook for a further half an hour. We find that the garlic imparts a nice flavour into the meat and when pulled we have a ton of meat to serve with roast potatoes and a salad and later pizzas with tzatiki. My wife's go to recipe for a leg of lamb is cover it in strawberry jam and bake it. The lamd becomes sweet and the gaminess is reduced. Alternatively, I will bone out a leg and butterfly it and simply salt and pepper it and sprinkle dried oregano over it, insert some garlic slivers into the meat and then give it a baste with melted mint jelly and lemon juice and either cook it on the barbecue or in the oven and serve it with roast potatoes and salad or veggies such as dutch carrots and asparagus. My last favourite version is lamb backstraps. Once again salt, pepper, dried oregano and olive oil and barbecue for a few minutes until just cooked. We serve this on a bed of baby rocket, baby English spinach, tossed with a balsamic dressing and add pistachios and crumbled fetta and maybe some bottled but drained well artichoke hearts. Simply to die for and a good dinner party main meal.
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