Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (27 page)

1.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Strip most of the surface fat from the lamb (your butcher may already have done this). Cut between the ribs, almost down to the meaty eye. Divide each rack in half down the middle, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and put in a roasting pan.

2.
Roast for 15 minutes, then insert a meat thermometer straight in from one end into the meatiest part. If it reads 125°F or more, remove the lamb immediately. If it reads 120°F or less, put the lamb back for about 5 minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes; this will give you medium- to medium-rare lamb on the outer ribs, medium-rare to rare in the center. Cook a little longer for more doneness. Serve, separating the ribs by cutting down straight through them.

VARIATIONS

Rack of Lamb Persillade:

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup plain bread crumbs, 1 small peeled garlic clove, and about ½ cup fresh parsley leaves in a small food processor (or chop by hand). Process until minced, then rub into the meaty side of the racks before roasting.

• If you happen to have some port open and you’re inclined to serve your rack of lamb with a sauce, you can make a port reduction while the rack rests: Pour off all but a tablespoon of the fat from the pan and put the roasting pan on a burner (or two burners if it is big) over high heat. Add 1 cup good-quality red wine or port and cook, stirring and scraping, until the liquid is reduced to about ⅛ cup. Add any of the liquid that has accumulated around the lamb and stir. Season to taste, then spoon a little of this over each serving of rib.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: AT LEAST 2½ HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

WHY DO SO
many recipes have you brown lamb shanks and other tough meats when the long braising needed to make them tender ends up breaking down the lovely, crisp crust? The simple answer is that browning creates complex flavors, but it also creates a spattery mess. So here’s a solution: grill or broil the shanks after braising. This will give them the ultimate crust, and the braising liquid will serve as a succulent sauce.

1.
Combine the lamb shanks, port, and garlic in a skillet just large enough to hold the shanks. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover and turn down the heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook, turning about every 30 minutes, until the shanks are tender and a lovely mahogany color, at least 2 hours and more likely longer.

2.
Remove the shanks and strain the sauce. If time allows, refrigerate both separately; skim the fat from the top of the sauce. Preheat a grill or broiler until quite hot; the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

3.
Grill or broil the shanks until nicely browned all over, sprinkling them with salt and pepper to taste and turning as necessary; total cooking time will be about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce gently; season it with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar or lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Serve the shanks with the sauce.

VARIATION

Anise-Flavored Lamb Shanks (or Short Ribs)

For an Asian-flavored main course, braise the meat in a mixture of ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 cup water, 5 thin slices peeled fresh ginger, 5 whole star anise, 4 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Proceed as directed, finishing the sauce with rice or white wine vinegar.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

A LOGICAL COMBINATION,
and glorious once you taste it, with the sweet juice of the peaches deftly cutting through the richness of the lamb without being piercing. A hint of cinnamon (or an even smaller one of allspice—maybe an eighth of a teaspoon) gives the dish a great aroma as it cooks and a slightly mysterious flavor at the table. A pinch of cayenne or other red pepper makes a nice addition.

Whereas most braises begin with browning, this one ends with it, like the
Braised and Grilled Lamb Shanks
. This method reduces both spattering and time—since the lamb’s liquid is mostly gone by the end of cooking, it doesn’t go flying from the hot fat, and the meat
browns faster. And the peaches, browning lightly in the same cooking liquid, contribute some of their juices to the pan while becoming meltingly tender.

1.
Put the lamb in a 12-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Season with salt and add the cinnamon, cayenne, onion, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily but not violently. Cook, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means that the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)

2.
After 1 to 1½ hours, the meat should be tender when poked with a small, sharp knife; remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.

3.
Stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining bit of herb and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 40 MINUTES

YOU MIGHT THINK
of this Turkish dish as a kind of lamb shish kebab with a couple of twists. First of all, it can be executed indoors (though in good weather the initial browning could certainly be done on a grill). Second, it contains its own built-in sauce, a combination of yogurt and the juices exuded by lamb and roasted vegetables.

1.
Turn the heat to high under a cast-iron or other large, heavy skillet; a couple of minutes later, add the lamb and quickly sear on all sides. Don’t worry about cooking it through, but brown the exterior well.

2.
Remove the lamb and put the peppers and chiles if you’re using them in the same skillet, still over high heat. Add the onion, cut sides down. Cook until the peppers blacken on all sides, turning as necessary (the onion will blacken quickly; remove it and set aside). When the peppers are beginning to collapse, after 10 to 15 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and cover with foil or a lid. Preheat the broiler and put the rack 2 to 4 inches from the heat source.

3.
When the peppers cool slightly, peel and seed them, then cut or tear into strips; separate the onion into rings. Combine the peppers and onions with the lamb, salt, pepper, and yogurt (and thyme leaves if you like) in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the lamb in one layer. Broil until charred on top, just a few minutes, then serve.

NOTE

You can use either leg or shoulder. Leg is leaner and best kept on the rare side; shoulder, which has more fat, can be cooked a little longer without drying out, which means it can be left under the broiler for a few extra minutes to give it an extra-crisp crust.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS

LAMB SHOULDER IS
a bony cut of meat that easily can be turned into a boneless roast by any butcher, including those who work in supermarkets. The result is a round, tied piece of meat with lovely crevices into which you can stick a simple seasoning mixture like garlic and parsley. This is a traditional combination for lamb, and rightly so, because the flavors marry so well.

If you have them on hand, add two tablespoons of crushed coriander seeds (put them in a plastic bag and pound gently with a rolling pin, rubber mallet, or like object) to the parsley: they add a distinctive and alluring floral note to the dish.

1.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Mince together the parsley and garlic until quite fine (a small food processor will work for this). Add a big pinch of salt and some pepper and enough olive oil to make a slurry. Smear this on and into the lamb, being sure to get it into every nook and cranny you can reach. Put the lamb in a roasting pan (you can line the pan with foil to facilitate cleanup if you like).

2.
Roast for about 1½ hours, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes or so. When the internal temperature reaches 140°F, turn the heat to 400°F and roast for about 10 minutes more, or until the internal temperature is 150°F and the exterior has browned nicely.

3.
Let the roast sit for about 10 minutes before carving, then carve and serve, with some of the juices that come out during carving.

MAKES AT LEAST 6 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 40 MINUTES

THERE MAY BE
no meat better for grilling than boneless leg of lamb. It cooks reasonably quickly, usually in less than half an hour, but still develops an irresistibly crunchy crust. Even better, that crust can be flavored in minutes before it is cooked with any of a dozen combinations of seasonings. Marinating is unnecessary, as the meat itself has exquisite flavor and really needs no more than salt.

The leg’s irregular shape virtually guarantees that every eater will be happy—lamb is the only meat good at every stage of doneness. When the thickest parts have cooked to rare, the ends will be well done, the parts in between medium. Boneless legs sold at supermarkets are sometimes wrapped in an elastic net to form them into a round roast. For grilling, remove this so the meat lies flat. If the larger end of the meat is three or more inches thick, you might cut a flap to make that lobe thinner and flatter so that it cooks more evenly. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife and working from the side of the lobe that faces the rest of the meat, make a horizontal cut about halfway down from top to bottom, most of the way through, and fold the meat out; in essence, you are butterflying the butterfly.

1.
Preheat a grill or broiler until quite hot; put the rack 4 inches from the heat source.

2.
Trim the lamb of excess fat. Mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; rub this mixture well into the lamb, being sure to get some into all the crevices. (If time allows, it does no harm to let the prepared lamb sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; just return the meat to room temperature before grilling.)

3.
Sear the meat over the hottest part of the grill until nicely browned on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook with the grill covered or uncovered for 5 to 15 minutes longer, until the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125°F. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

VARIATIONS

If grilling isn’t an option, you can cook this dish in the oven: Put the broiler rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Keep an eye on the lamb to prevent burning; the cooking time will be a little shorter. Or roast it in the middle of the oven, at 450°F, turning occasionally; the cooking time will be about the same.

Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Coriander and Ginger

Use a combination of 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger, all minced or coarsely ground together; moisten with a little soy sauce.

Curried Boneless Leg of Lamb

Rub the lamb all over with 2 tablespoons curry powder mixed with ½ cup yogurt.

Grilled Soy-and-Ginger Boneless Lamb Leg