Moroccan Lamb Shanks

This recipe is care of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution cookbook. He calls for using 'lamb leg steaks' which I don't think are a thing in the states. So I grabbed some lamb shanks, which I intended to roast until I realized every recipe online for lamb shanks calls for them to be braised. So I improvised a braising liquid (ideally after browning the meat I would've tossed a mirepoix into the pot for some more flavor), and everything turned out ok. I'm not sure if I'd make this specific dish again; apricots in a savory dish is a little strange to me.

 

Meat:

2 lamb shanks

3 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon coriander

A few sprigs of parsley

Salt and pepper

In a dutch oven over medium high heat, add a little canola oil and brown the lamb shanks on all sides. Add the beef stock, then the spices and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and place in  a 375°F oven for 1.5 hours. Remove the lamb shanks, and save the braising liquid for something else. What exactly, I haven’t figured out yet.

Sauce:

1 medium red onion, diced

1 large tomato, deseeded and diced

1 jalapeno, deseeded, deveined and diced

8 dried apricots, chopped

Handful of parsley, chopped

1 (15) ounce can of garbanzo beans

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt and pepper

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add the onion, apricots, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the tomato and parsley, along with the cumin and some salt and pepper. Pour the garbanzo beans on top, including the liquid, and add an additional ½ cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until sauce-like. Add the balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

To Finish:

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/5 cups chicken stock

Salt

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Greek Yogurt

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan and season with salt. Simmer couscous, covered for 6 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit for another 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil.

Serve the lamb shank over the couscous, top with the sauce and some yogurt.

Roasted Lamb Gyros

I guess typically you’re supposed to enjoy a nice roast lamb with some potatoes and vegetables, and use the leftovers for gyros. However, I just went from point A to point C because gyros are amazing. Lamb recipe from: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/04/greek-style-roast-leg-of-lamb-with.html

Lamb:

1 boneless leg of lamb (~3.5 lbs)

4 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers

Salt

Pepper

Rub:

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450°F

Pierce the lamb with a paring knife all over and stuff in the garlic slivers. Season all around with salt and pepper.

Combine all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl, zesting the whole lemon and adding it to the bowl along with all the juice. Stir to combine. Place lamb on roasting rack and apply rub.

Cover the roasting dish with foil, and bake for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat reaches 115°F. Remove the foil, drop the oven to 350°F, and let the meat brown, pulling it at 135°F. Let the meat rest before carving.

Tzatziki:

1 clove garlic

¼ very large cucumber, peeled and seeded

1.5 cups greek yogurt

½ tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

Place the garlic clove, still in its sleeve, onto a cast iron skillet and cook over medium for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until blackened in spots. Remove and let cool.

Dice the cucumber and place in a strainer set on top of a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit for ½ an hour.

Remove the husk from the cooled garlic, dice it and add to a bowl, along with yogurt, dill, parsley and lemon juice. Once the cucumber has had its water drawn out, add it as well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.

Gyro:

Pita

Butter lettuce

Tomato

Tzatziki

Roasted Lamb

Take your pita and put everything else on/inside it.