Recipes

This is my all time favorite stew recipe that I got from a friend.  It is a French recipe, and quite versatile.

1-1 ½ lb. Lamb stew meat

1/4 lb bacon, cut in small bits

2 lbs. Potatoes

garlic, thyme or marjoram, olive oil

Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish, then layer the bacon, lamb sprinkled with salt, pepper, and herbs, then peeled and quartered potatoes.  Put in hot oven (425) for 20 minutes, then cook at 325 for 3 ½-4 hrs.  You can also add onions, artichoke hearts, tomato, carrots, and/or cut up eggplant with the potatoes.

(I have also used zucchini and any other vegetables that can go into a stew.  I think it is the long 

cooking time and the bacon that really make the difference.)

(Makes 4 servings)

1 lb ground lamb

1 small onion chopped

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

cooked rice

Shape lamb into 1 ½-inch balls.  Cook over low heat until browned on all sides.  Add onion and green pepper and cook 5 minutes.  Add soup, milk, salt and pepper; mix well.  Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve lamb and sauce over rice.

(I often serve this recipe over cooked noodles instead of the rice.)

This recipe I found in one of my sheep journals.  It is really very good and quite simple to make.

1 Acorn squash

1 lb ground lamb

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

¼ cup honey

Cut ends off  acorn squash and discard.  Slice into 4 rings.  Remove seeds.  Place squash rings in greased baking dish.  Mix together lamb, onion, egg, salt and bread crumbs.  Place a mound of lamb mixture in each squash ring.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Uncover and brush with honey.  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

This is a recipe that my mother made with beef, but I make with lamb.

1 lb ground lamb

1 onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp Worchester sauce

1 can mushroom soup

1/3 soup can milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Boiled potatoes

Sautee the onions and garlic in a little olive oil.  Add the lamb.  Break it up and brown.  Add Worchester sauce, salt and pepper.  Add can of soup and the milk.  Cook till warmed through. Serve over the boiled potatoes. (If the lamb is very fatty, it can be drained before adding the soup mixture.)

This is one of my favorite recipes, and can be quite elegant.  It is taken from The New Parents’ Magazine Family Cookbook.

(6-8 servings)

2 lbs lamb shoulder

½ cup salad oil

2 Tablespoons vinegar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

1/4 teaspoon thyme

½  teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tomatoes

3 medium onions

2 green peppers

Cut lamb shoulder into 1 ½ inch cubes.  Blend salad oil, vinegar, lemon juice, seasonings and chopped onion in a bowl.  Add lamb cubes and refrigerate 2-3 hrs.  Drain.  Cut tomatoes in halves, onions in 1/4 inch slices, and green peppers in 1 inch squares.  Arrange lamb, tomatoes, onion slices and peppers alternately on metal skewers.  Repeat, ending with lamb cube. Cook in moderate oven (350) for about 20 minutes, turning skewers occasionally.  Slide meat and vegetables off skewers onto individual plates.

(I usually quarter the onions which I think makes it easier to skewer, and cut the tomato into chunks, which likewise makes it easier to skewer.  I also usually add mushrooms.  I should think this would also be good cooked on a grill.)

This is another recipe that I got from a friend that is very good. 

1c. Dry red wine

3/4 c. soy sauce

4 lg. Cloves garlic, crushed

½ c. chopped fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp slightly bruised fresh rosemary leaves or 1 Tbsp dried

1 Tbsp coarsely ground pepper

1 Butterflied leg of lamb (4-5 lbs)

Combine 1st 6 ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Place lamb in glass pan.  Pour marinade over lamb, cover and refrigerate for 6 hrs–or more, turning frequently.  Grill to an internal temperature of 155-160.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before carving.

This recipe was in one of my sheep journals. It has lots of ingredients but is not difficult to make,  and worth any trouble. 

1lb lamb in ½” cubes 

¼ t. cumin 

¼ t ground cardamom 

3 T oil 

1 onion, diced 

Salt and pepper to taste 

½ cup water 

2T vinegar 

2T soy sauce 

2T brown sugar 

2T lemon juice 

1 clove garlic, chopped 

1/8 t paprika 

¼ cup sliced black olives 

2T chopped peanuts 

½ green pepper, sliced 

4 T chopped celery 

2 tomatoes cut in eighths 

Put cumin and cardamom in skillet and let heat until fragrance is noticed. Add oil. Add lamb and sauté till lightly brown. Add onion, salt and pepper, and water. Cover and let cook about 20 minutes. Add additional water if needed. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, garlic and paprika, and add to skillet mixture. Add remaining ingredients and cook till peppers are tender. Add additional sugar or vinegar to taste as needed. 

Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Lamb Chops are best seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and maybe garlic, and grilled about 3 minutes per side. 

I hope this helps you get started with the enjoyment of lamb. The herbs that I think go best with lamb are rosemary and thyme. And cinnamon does wonderful things to lamb. Don’t be afraid to try it. Also any dry fruit such as raisins, prunes, or dried apricots, go very well with lamb. 

ENJOY

A recipe served at one of our Shepherds Banquets some years ago 

2 ½ lbs. Lamb shoulder, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes 

1/4 c. olive oil 

4 small onions 

2 tsp. Ginger, ground 

2 medium garlic cloves 

1/4 c. fresh parsley 

salt 

1/4 tsp turmeric, ground 

1/8 tsp pepper 

1 c. raisins 

½ c. almonds, unblanched 

boiling water 

2 Tbsp butter 

2 large eggs, hard boiled 

3 c. water 

1 ½ c. rice, long-grained, uncooked 

1 ½ Tbsp butter 

Fresh parsley for garnish 

Brown lamb in hot oil. Remove. Add ginger, onion and garlic to drippings, saute till onion is golden. Add 1/4 c. parsley, 1 tsp salt, turmeric and pepper. Return lamb to pan. Put wax paper over pan then lid. Simmer 1 1/4 hr. Stir occasionally. Cover raisins with water and let stand. Cover almonds with boiling water and let stand 2 minutes. Drain, cool in cold water. Drain, rub off skin and dry. Saute in 2 Tbs butter in small skillet until golden. Peel eggs, chop fine. Cook rice in 3 cups water, 1 ½ tsp salt and butter. Drain raisins, stir into meat mixture. Simmer covered 5 min. Turn into serving dish. Garnish with almonds, egg and parsley.  

It looks very festive with the rice spread on a platter and the meat mixture spread on top leaving a small edge of the rice. Sprinkle the almonds, egg and parsley on top. 

Here is a recipe that I got at Sheep Conferences this year (Better known now as the Sheep and Wool Festival) I gave it a try. It is very good. 

2 # shoulder or leg steaks with bone 

¼ cup EV olive oil 

¼ tea. Salt 

1/8 # salt pork or bacon, diced 

1 cup onion or 1 large, minced 

½ cup celery or fennel bulb, 2 ribs minced 

½ cup carrot shredded 

1 cup shitake or button mushrooms sliced 

2 Tbsp tomato paste 

3 1” strips of orange the size of a bandaid and juice of orange

1 cup red wine 

3 cups light stock 

3 bay leaves 

1 4” sprig of rosemary 

Pepper, and sea salt 

Trim off excess fat. Season the meat with a little salt and pepper. Add oil to pan and turn on heat, carefully brown steaks on all sides. Remove meat from pan, add bacon to pan and render. Or just add extra oil and salt if not using bacon. 

Add onion and let cook 2 minutes Stir in celery, carrots, mushrooms and cook over med-high heat till vegetables are golden. Clear hot spot in pan , add tomato paste and cook till toasted and mix with the rest of the vegs. Add orange rind. Return steaks to pan and toss with vegetables. Add wine, raise heat and bring to a boil, reduce till almost all wine is gone. Pour in orange juice and broth to cover meat. Add bay leaves and rosemary, bring to boil, cover and simmer 2 hours. Or bake 300 degrees. Start checking for doneness after 1 hour. You may also finish in a crockpot.  

When meat is tender, remove from stove and turn off heat. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings. Pick out bay, herb stems and orange rind. 

Remove meat from pot, pick bones out of meat, shred meat with fingers and add equal parts of broth to meat (1-1 ratio) If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, put liquid in small pot and reduce down. This meat mixture is great on buns, over pasta, parmesan cheese risotto, couscous, served in mini phyllo cups as an appetizer or as ravioli filling. 

Mixture freezes well. 

www.wisconsinlocalfood.com 

This one is also from the sheep conference. I tasted it there, but have not yet tried to make it.

1 # ground lamb 

1 egg 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tsp salt ½ tsp fresh ground pepper, dried rosemary, and dried thyme 

½ cup bread crumbs 

2 tbsp red wine 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 small onion diced fine 

2 tbsp brandy 

2 tbsp tomato sauce or you favorite BBQ sauce 

½ cup stock—lamb or beef 

Combine lamb, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and spices. 

In separate bowl soften bread crumbs with wine and add to meat. 

Mix will and shape into ½ oz balls. 

Heat oil in medium sauté pan, brown meat balls 

Add onions and continue cooking till softened. 

Remove pan from heat, pour in brandy while staying away from pan and ignite liquid. 

Let flames sub-side, add sauce or BBQ and stock, season to taste, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

www.wisconsinlocalfood.com 

This looks like a fun recipe to make when you have company. Fondue has kind of gone out of style, but maybe it is time to bring it back!

For a lamb “Fun-Do”, cut a let or shoulder of lamb into ¾ inch cubes. At party time half fill your fondue pot with peanut oil, heat over Kitchen burner until it bubbles. Transfer pot to the alcohol burner in your party room.

Guests spear cubes of lamb on their fondue forks and brown for a minute or two (depending on desired degree of doneness), then plunge the cooked cubes in a favorite sauce and enjoy!

“Fun-Do” mustard sauce:

1 tsp dry mustard

¼ cup salad dressing

2 Tbls sour cream

Mix all ingredients together and serve

Makes ¾ cup

Sweet ‘n sour sauce

¼ cup pineapple juice

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp salt

1 Tbls vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and serve

Makes ¾ cup

Taken from The Shepherd Magazine

3/4 cup plain yogurt (or vanilla)

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (2/3c)

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1Tbsp snipped fresh mint or 1 tsp dried mint, crushed

1/4 tsp sugar

stir together yogurt, chopped cucumber, sliced green onion, mint and sugar.