Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

I was having my friend Patti over for dinner last week and wanted to make something really hearty and delicious and came up with this recipe. Portland has been getting quite cold lately and I thought a really yummy pasta and meat dish was in store. I was craving lamb, so I immediately thought of a lamb ragu and then decided to go all out and make my favorite pasta from scratch as well. I hope you enjoy!

Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 carrots, finely diced

1 large sweet onion, finely diced

2 celery ribs, finely diced

2 pounds ground lamb

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1 pound pappardelle pasta

8 ounces parmesan cheese, shaved

½ bunch parsley chopped

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is reduced by 2/3rds, 3-4 hours.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Place in large serving bowls and top with shaved parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Braised Lamb Shanks

I love that my friends tell me that they are tired of looking at old recipes! My friend Francisca just told me on Saturday that she couldn't look at the tart recipe any longer, I love it. I dug through my archives and found this recipe and picture that I haven't posted and decided this would be my next post! I know it's not the best summer dish, but living in Portland you do have those cold days now and again, so here is the recipe to welcome the rain. I would recommend polenta or my delicious Mashed Potatoes for the side dish, enjoy!

Braised Lamb Shanks

6 lamb shanks, well trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
2 yellow onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups diced canned tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 cups beef stock
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Generously season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large
oval Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the 1/4 cup vegetable oil.
Working in batches, brown the shanks on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes
total, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Transfer to a platter.
Pour off the excess fat from the pan.

Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and translucent, 5 to 8
minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from
the heat and add the wine. Return the pan to medium-high heat and
bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, stock, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and lamb shanks and bring
to a boil. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and cook until the meat
is almost falling off the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Using tongs,
transfer the shanks to a large serving bowl and cover loosely with
aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, remove the bay leaves from the cooking liquid and discard.
Skim off the fat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir
in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Pour some of the sauce
over the shanks and garnish with parsley. Transfer the remaining sauce
to a sauceboat.

*Recipe from Williams Sonoma

Lamb Gyro

I was craving a gyro the other day and got inspired to make my own recipe for this, it turned out really well. I thought making the meat like a hamburger would allow me to flavor it throughout and also grilling it gave it a nice smoky flavor. I put lots of cucumber riata, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro to garnish. I realized after I had made these that I completely forgot the feta! Oh well, they still tasted yummy. This recipe makes enough for about 6 gyros, so you could easily cut in half if your only serving a couple people.

Lamb Gyro

2 Pounds Ground Lamb
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
Pita Bread
Tomatoes, chopped
Red Onion, sliced thin
Cilantro
Cucumber Riata

Combine the ground lamb, salt, pepper, cumin, and chopped cilantro and mix together to combine. Form meat into hamburger sized patties (will make about 6). Grill until just done, let rest for a couple of minutes and then cut into strips. Serve on a warm pita with tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and cucumber riata.

Cucumber Riata

2 Cups Yogurt
1 Cucumber, peeled seeded and finely minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded and finely minced
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Mix together and let rest for a few minutes for flavors to combine.

Hoisin Glazed Rack Of Lamb

I wish I could afford to eat lamb more often, it is so delicious! This recipe is really simple, easy to make and has a ton of flavor. I also love that this dish doesn’t use the traditional rosemary or mint as the flavoring for the meat. I love to serve this with a simple veggie, like shown or over a bed of mashed potatoes. This sauce is absolutely incredible, I usually make a double batch and store it in the freezer for a last minute sauce for pork, chicken, or fish.

Hoisin Glazed Rack of Lamb

2 Racks of Lamb, frenched
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ¾ Cups Hoisin Sauce
2/3 Cups Honey
3 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, minced
1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons Fresh Cilantro, minced
½ Teaspoon Hot Chili Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
Place rack of lamb in a roasting pan, fat side up, rub the tops with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

To create glaze, mix all remaining ingredients in medium sized mixing bowl.

Place lamb in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Take the lamb out of the oven and quickly brush liberally with hoisin glaze. Return immediately to the oven and roast for another 5 minutes.

Take the lamb out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes, cut into single chops, drizzle with more glaze and serve.

Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

Only Jen could pull this look off!
Yummy!

My nick-name for this stew is “black out lamb stew” because when I went to my friend Jen’s house for dinner the electricity was out. Thank goodness she had a gas stove! I brought over some candles and lanterns and another friend brought over an ipod player that was battery powered. It was so much fun hanging out in the candle lit house sipping wine and having a good time. I believe it is the first time I have ever been disappointed to have the power come back on. The funny thing is when the power did come on we immediately turned the lights off and pretended it was still out. Jen was a trooper and prepared the meal wearing her camping headlight, in case you were wondering what the heck the picture was. I hope to have another black out party soon!
Now for the food…I can’t ever get enough lamb and was so excited when I got invited over to Jen’s for lamb stew. This is a very healthy recipe and has a ton of flavor. The combination of the potatoes, lamb with the veggies and rosemary, delicious! I never thought of adding collard greens to a stew, but loved the texture, color and flavor they brought to the dish, and they don’t get soggy like a lot of other leafy greens would. I made my new favorite no-knead bread to go with the stew, and we had Williams Sonoma peppermint brownies and ice cream for dessert. Thanks for the delicious and fun night Jen!

Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

1 Pound Lamb, fat removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ Teaspoon Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cups Vegetable Stock
3 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 –inch thick slices
2 Large Celery Stalks, cleaned and cut into ½-inch thick slices
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
5 Red Potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, minced
5 Large Collard Green Leaves, roughly chopped

Mix flour, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt together and toss with lamb to coat. In large stock pot heat olive oil over medium high heat and brown lamb. Add stock, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and rosemary, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender. Add parsley and collard greens and continue to cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lamb Kofta Curry

I immediately fell in love with this dish and crave it daily. It takes a little time to make, but well worth it! I would not recommend substituting beef for this recipe.

Lamb Kofta Curry

Meatballs:
2 Pounds Ground Lamb
1 Jalapeno Pepper, Finely Minced
1 Garlic Clove, Finely Minced
1 Inch Piece Ginger, Finely Minced
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

Sauce:
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Inch Piece Ginger, Finely Minced
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
12 Ounce Can Chopped Tomatoes

To make meatballs, mix all meatball ingredients in large bowl until well combined. Form meat into 2 inch balls. In large oiled frying pan over medium-hi heat cook meatballs until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan to a towel-lined plate and drain fat from pan.

To make the sauce, heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds until they sputter. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the meatballs back to the pan, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro and serve with rice.