Thursday, April 16, 2009

just a simple rack of lamb

Here's a typical weeknight meal at our house...


(source)

Ha! Just kidding. Thought I'd try to make you feel guilty for a minute.
I am still on a kick of incorporating lamb into our diet regularly. It is so flavorful and versitile, and pretty good for you too! Lots of zinc and iron, and us ladies need lots of that.

During my post-Argentina butcher stock-up, I visited Marconda Meats and picked up some freshly ground lamb. Last night, I used some of it along with rice, red wine vinegar, tomato juice, garlic, onions, and fresh herbs to stuff some super tasty baked red peppers. Such a simple and satisfying meal! The man had to go out of town at the last minute today, which is disappointing because after i made his rib adventure public, he had announced that tonight he would be cooking dinner for us. Guess I'll have to wait until next week to see what he had planned. I thought it would be fun to revisit my single days and have guacamole and a cocktail for dinner, but I can't escape the memory of yesterday's meal.
So, here's some lamb-facts to curb my cravings.
  • "lamb" refers to a sheep between one month and one year old; "mutton" is older than one year
  • the younger and smaller the lamb, the more tender the meat will be
  • lamb, though rich-tasting, is relatively low in fat and calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants
  • most supermarket lamb is usda choice, but higher quality cuts and organic meats are available
  • new zealanders eat the most lamb, about 40lbs per capita (source)
  • and for the exceedingly ambitious, here's a fun tutorial of how to bone cuts of lamb
This still doesn't give enlightenment to the mystery of the glowing green mint jelly packets that I associate with supermarket lamb!

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