Ingredients

• 4 guajillo chiles
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 10 allspice berries
• 1/3 cup Mexican oregano
• 12 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 (12-pound) goat, quartered or 1 (6 to 8-pound) lamb shoulder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (2-pound) package dried avocado leaves (we substituted banana leaves)

Preparation

Toast chiles, cover with boiling water in a deep bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes. Grind cumin, cloves, allspice, and oregano in coffee grinder. Drain soaked chiles, puree in blender the chiles, ground spices, thyme, garlic, onion, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water. Process until smooth Push mixture through a sieve, season goat with salt and pepper. Rub paste all over the meat. Arrange in a bowl and allow to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a deep roaster pan scatter half of the avocado leaves on the bottom, place meat on top of the avocado leaves and scatter the remaining leaves over the meat. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Cook the goat 6 to 7 hours until meat is falling off the bone. If using lamb shoulder cook for 4 hours.

Food Network

Ingredients

• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 (1" thick) lamb shoulder chops
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 c. flat-leaf parsley including trimmed stems
• 2 c. mint including trimmed stems
• 1/3 c. distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small package frozen peas
• 3 tbsp. water
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preparation

Add sauce ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse until herbs are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Cook peas in water and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, covered, stirring once or twice, until just tender, about 3 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Stir together cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl, then rub over chops. Broil in a 4-sided sheet pan 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning once or twice, 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare.

Serve chops drizzled with a little chimichurri and serve peas and remaining chimichurri on the side.

Gourmet, November 2009

Ingredients

• 6 shallots (3 whole, 3 chopped)
• 3 whole cloves, stuck into 3 shallots
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 2 celery stalks
• 6 peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds lamb steaks, cubed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup Crème Fraiche
• ½ cup dill, chopped
• 6 ounces white corn, cooked

Preparation

Place 3 clove studded shallots, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and stock in heavy saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes, add the lamb and cook for 2 hours. Discard vegetables and spices. Reserve lamb and stock. In saucepan on low heat, sauté 3 chopped shallots in butter. Stir in sugar and flour. Remove from heat, add reserved stock and stir. Return to heat and stir constantly while adding Crème Fraiche. Fold in lamb cubes and ½ pkg. chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over corn. Garnish with remaining sprigs of dill.

Fresh Herbs

This isn’t a recipe, but a catalog of times and internal temperatures for the reverse sear method. Preheat the oven to 250F, and take the piece of meat to the internal temperature specified. Then sear it off in as hot a skillet as you can get with a bit of vegetable oil.

• Ribeye, Cowboy Ribeye, Côte à l’os: 115F for medium-rare, 110F for rare, 105F for blue-rare, 1 minute per side sear
• Lamb: 125F, 2 minutes on the fat cap

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon egg white
• 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound boneless leg of lamb or lamb shoulder, cut into strips about 1/2 inch by 2 inches
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, lightly cracked in a mortar or grinder
• 2 tablespoons whole dried red chili peppers, about 2 inches long
• 4 scallions, white and green parts only, cut on diagonal into 1-inch lengths
• Sesame oil, for seasoning

Preparation

1. In a bowl combine egg white, wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add lamb and set aside to marinate 1 hour.

2. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Swirl half the oil into wok and carefully add lamb, spreading it in a single layer. Let sear a moment, then stir-fry briskly just until lamb is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. (If your wok is not large enough to hold all the lamb, do this in 2 batches, using extra oil.)

3. Swirl remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil into empty wok, add cumin seeds and chilies and stir-fry a few seconds until cumin seeds start to pop. Press chilies against sides of wok to char their skins.

4. Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute. Then return lamb to wok and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more until lamb is cooked through. Turn off heat, sprinkle with salt and drops of sesame oil, and serve immediately.

New York Times

Ingredients

Chile sauce:

• 3 pasilla chiles, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil Kosher salt

Meatballs:

• 1/4 small onion, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, 7 cloves chopped, 1 clove finely grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon rice flour or all-purpose flour
• 4–5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain sheep’s-milk or cow’s whole-milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Crushed red pepper flakes (for serving)

Preparation

Chile sauce: Toast chiles, red pepper flakes, and cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and cumin seeds are golden, about 3 minutes.

Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind in spice mill, then transfer to a blender. Add vinegar, paprika, and garlic to blender and blend until smooth. With motor running, gradually stream in oil and blend until combined. Transfer to a large bowl; season with salt.

Meatballs and assembly: Pulse onion, chopped garlic, parsley, oregano, sage, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, and 1 tablespoon salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until finely chopped. Add egg, lamb, and flour and pulse until evenly combined. Form lamb mixture into 1 1/2" balls.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Working in 2 batches and adding another 1 tablespoon oil to skillet if needed, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through, 5–8 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towels to drain.

Transfer all meatballs to bowl with chile sauce and toss to coat. Toss cucumber in a medium bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon yogurt into bowls. Evenly divide meatballs among bowls; top with dressed cucumber and mint and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Bon Appetit, April 2015

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. ground allspice
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. powdered ginger
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
• 1 small orange bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
• 1/2 small eggplant, peeled and diced
• 1/4-1 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 c. chunky tomato sauce or puree
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2-1 c. feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt, optional
• fresh lemon wedges, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first seven ingredients and set aside. Remove the tops from the green peppers, slice in half, and remove seeds and ribs. Place in an 8x8 pan, bowl up.

In a large skillet, heat oil at medium heat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Add the diced bell peppers, cook until onion is golden and soft. Remove and cool. Sautee the eggplant over medium-high heat until brown but still holding its shape. Add a dash of salt and the spice mix. Cook 1 minute and add to onion/pepper mix.

Brown the lamb, breaking into small pieces. At the end, add garlic, stir, and remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drain any oil or juices and stir in tomato sauce and 1/2 tbsp. spice mix. Remove from heat and cool. Add oregano to the feta, and mix.

Divide the meat/tomato mix between the peppers. Layer with the mix of peppers, onions, and eggplant. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until the green peppers soften. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, add the feta. Serve with yogurt and lemons if desired.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lb. lamb fillet, cut into thick pieces
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. pitted dates, chopped
• 1 1/2 c. water
• cilantro to garnish

Preparation

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a tagine on medium. Fry onion, fennel, and garlic until just beginning to brown. Transfer to a plate.

Add the rest of the oil and fry the lamb until evenly browned.

Add all the spices and the salt to the meat and stir well, cooking one minute.

Return onion, fennel, and garlic to the tagine. Add dates and 1/4 c. water. Stir well.

Cover and cook very gently, stirring occasionally, for 3-3 1/2 hours. The spices will thicken the liquid, so check after 1 1/2 hours and add the rest of the water little by little.

Serve with couscous.

Le Creuset tagine booklet

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup medium-grind bulgur
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
• 16 to 20 untorn collard leaves
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation

Soak bulgur in hot water to cover until tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine bulgur with lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, mint, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch meatballs, handling mixture as little as possible.

Put olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat; when hot, add meatballs and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Serve immediately or cool and proceed with recipe.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Trim stem ends of collard leaves and discard. Put half the leaves in the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are just pliable. Use a slotted spoon to remove leaves from water and transfer to a colander; run leaves under cool water; drain and gently squeeze to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled. Repeat with other leaves.

Cut leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of stem, removing stem in process; trim top and bottom, making a large, rectangular-shaped leaf. Lay one leaf down with widest part facing you. Put a meatball in middle of leaf, bring two sides of leaves together and roll like a burrito to seal it. Put each stuffed leaf, seam side down, on a serving plate. Repeat, cooking and stuffing remaining leaves. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

Spicy Afghan Green Sauce

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, depending on how spicy you want your sauce
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar

Meatballs

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds [you can substitute garam masala for the spice blend]
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• Seeds from 2 star anise
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 to 5 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped

Preparation

Make the Spicy Afghan Green Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. This can be done 1 to 3 days in advance. It is best to make the sauce at least 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to blend.

Preheat a grill to about 375°F for direct cooking.

Make the meatballs: Place the cumin, coriander, cardamom seeds, and star anise in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder. Add the turmeric, seasoned salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne and mix well.

Place the ground lamb in a large bowl. Add the spices along with the onion, ginger, garlic, mint, feta, and spinach and mix well, but do not overmix as this will result in a tough texture. Form the mixture into meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Place the meatballs on the grill grate and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer, rotating the meatballs frequently to ensure that they caramelize evenly.

Serves 10-12.

Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk, Epicurious, May 2013