Lamb Two Ways

It took me a long time to develop a taste for lamb. My best friend’s favorite stuffed animal/ television personality growing up (and still to this day) was Lamb Chop; I could not eat the relatives of her beloved puppet. My grandparents would serve lamb with mint jelly when we visited, and I would dutifully take a bite, but the fatty richness of the lamb paired with the neon green sweet mint jelly threw me off.

Sadly, I no longer feel guilt for eating Lamb Chop’s relatives ever since discovering the magical combination of lamb and rosemary. The woody, earthy rosemary marries perfectly with lamb’s richness. My palate has indeed matured. In this wet rub, I use dried mint, worlds apart from neon green mint jelly. The tangy sweetness of the pomegranate molasses, the warm spice from the cumin and coriander all come together to make a lovely marinade for the meat. Plus, with a little wine, butter and extra pomegranate molasses, you get an incredible pan sauce to spoon over your meat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 lbs of lamb, (butterflied leg or chops)

2 lbs of lamb chops

Marinade. Wet rub:

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

3 to 4 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried mint

To roast:

1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)

Pan Sauces:

chicken stock

red wine

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon pomegranite molases

Method:

Rub the lamb portion generously with the wet rub and refrigerate overnight or at least three hours. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Salt the lamb portions once more, then gather the leg and truss it. Place the leg on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the roasting pan. Roast the lamb in the oven until the internal temperature reads 135 to 140 degrees F, about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan on the stove. Add a splash of red wine to deglaze any fond that may have formed while roasting, then add the butter and pomegranate molasses. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Pour over the lamb when serving. Enjoy!

For the lamb chops, place a cast iron pan over high heat on the stove with about one tablespoon of high heat oil (grapeseed, safflower, canola). Sear the chops for a minute on each side, add the remaining marinade into the pan, and put the pan in the 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes, or until the lamb reads 135 to 140 on a instant read thermometer. Remove to a plate and let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the cast iron pan back on the stove set to medium heat. Add a slash of wine and chicken stock, and bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, then reduce the sauce until slightly thickened. Taste, adjust for seasoning and add pomegranate molasses if needed. Enjoy!