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!

missing the BBQ

This summer, I think I'd like to take some time to make some tasty grilled meals. Maybe I am craving all of those indulgent Argentinean meats! Honestly, I still find big slabs of meat to be a bit daunting, but I can't think of a better way to overcome my hesitation than with ribs.

I can't think of anything more summery than a big slab of barbequed ribs! Sweet, tangy, and messy enough to require a hose-off afterwards, they remind me of balmy Michigan summer nights.

Last year, my man got inspired by Alton Brown to make some ribs. He isn't usually much of a cook, but he is ambitious and when he gets an idea in his head, he goes full-speed ahead until it comes into fruition. He picked out a nice slab of ribs from the supermarket butcher and stocked up on spices and sauces and made something similar to this recipe:

Ingredients:
2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs
Dry Rub:
8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Braising Liquid:
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

(source)

I was quite proud of him for his ambitious project, until I asked him how he planned to cook the feast. Alton's recipe suggests baking and braising the ribs for several hours, which I couldn't really see him doing. "Well," he said, "I figured I'd stick them on my George Foreman grill. I think we still have one under the sink, right?"

Oh no! We have made some sacrifices in choosing urban loft-living, but does grilling have to come to that? Shortly after that, we invested in a stovetop cast iron grill pan. Still a compromise, of course, but I think it will make us some satisfying summer meals.

got any (meat) plans this weekend?

a birdie shared a great idea with me from good eats-- homemade gyros!

looks like another fun use for the new meat grinder. and i'm on the look-out for some sort of rotisserie contraption to fit in our oven. it doesn't need to spin or anything, our oven has a convection setting and i don't object to turning it often... any ideas? one of those stand-alone convection rotisseries looks great-- but not when you have about ten inches of counterspace!

maybe i can rig something up, i'm a resourceful lady...