A Pile of Grilled Lamb Chops Scottadito

carni

A PILE OF GRILLED LAMB CHOPS SCOTTADITO

serves 4–6

Scottadito is loosely translated as “fingers-blistering hot”and alludes to the fact that no one can wait for them to cool before eating. So we dispense with a knife and fork as they do in Rome, pick them up, and nibble away. We sometimes serve these as a first course. They’re a real icebreaker. It’s hard to be reticent when you’re licking your fingers!

Harissa offers mild heat, so use an amount that suits your taste in the paste that seasons these. It’s the combination of the harissa and the chops hot off the grill that makes these scottadito!

2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste

2–4 tablespoons harissa

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Two 8-rib racks of lamb, frenched

Salt and pepper

2 lemons, quartered

Mix together the garlic, harissa, olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Cut each rack in half, into 4-rib pieces. (This way the lamb will be easier to cook and everyone can have one or two crispy “end chops”.) Arrange the chops in a large pan and brush with some of the harissa sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about an hour, or refrigerate for about 4 hours. Prepare a medium-hot fire to one side of a charcoal grill. If using a gas grill, fire up the “back burner” to medium-hot heat. Grill the lamb in the center of the grill, moving it to a cooler spot if there are flare-ups. Turn the pieces as a brown crust develops. When the meat is browned all over, move it to the coolest spot on the grill to finish cooking, turning it occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 125° for medium-rare. The grilling time will vary depending on your grill and the heat. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and allow it to rest briefly.

Cut the ribs into individual chops, pile them on a big platter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with any remaining harissa sauce and lemon wedges, and let everyone eat them with their fingers.

LAMB POLPETTE

makes about 4 dozen little meatballs

Saffron, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes give these little meatballs a distinctive warmth. The currants add sweetness. Serve them hot or make them ahead and serve at room temperature—they’re delicious either way.

2 pinches of saffron threads

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

⅓ cup dried currants, chopped

1½ pounds ground lamb

1 handful chopped fresh parsley

2 small cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons salt

Big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Pepper

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons flour

2–3 cups panko, finely crushed

Vegetable oil for frying

Lightly toast the saffron in a small skillet over medium-low heat until it turns a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Crush the saffron to a powder with a mortar and pestle. Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons warm water and set aside. Heat the olive oil and onions together in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until they begin to soften, 3–5 minutes. Add the saffron water and cook until the onions are soft, 3–5 minutes. Add the currants. Set aside to cool. Put the lamb, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, salt, red pepper flakes, a big pinch of black pepper, and the cooled onions in a large mixing bowl. Gently mix everything together, taking care not to overhandle the meat. Shape the meat into 1-inch meatballs, arranging them in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can do this a few hours ahead, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them.

Beat the eggs with the flour in a wide bowl until smooth. Put the panko in another wide bowl. Dip the meatballs in the egg, then roll them in the panko. Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy medium skillet to a depth of ½ inch and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning them so they cook evenly, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack set over paper towels to drain. Serve hot or at room temperature.

A COIL OF ITALIAN SAUSAGE & BROCCOLI RABE

serves 4–6

Faicco’s is an Italian butcher shop in New York City that specializes in all things pork. Their display case has more appeal than the windows at Bergdorf Goodman. We can never resist buying their sausage coils when we visit; the narrow casings make the prettiest spirals. If you can’t find coils, just buy your favorite Italian sausages.

FOR THE SAUSAGE

1 coil Italian sausage, 1½–2 pounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the broccoli rabe

1 bunch broccoli rabe

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

For the sausage, prick the sausage in a few places with a sharp knife to keep the casing from splitting as it cooks. Heat the olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook until the sausage begins to brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

Carefully turn the sausage over and add a splash or two of water if the skillet is dry. Cover and continue cooking until the sausage begins to brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until the water evaporates, the sausage is well browned, and the center is cooked through, 5–10 minutes. (The sausage will brown quickly once the water evaporates. As the skin browns, loosen the center of the coil to be sure the center cooks through.) For the broccoli rabe, trim off the thick stems, rinse the broccoli rabe, shake off the water, but don’t dry it. Put the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet and heat over medium heat until just fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

Add the broccoli rabe, a generous pinch of salt, and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook, turning it as it begins to wilt, until the broccoli rabe is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the water evaporates, 3–5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt. Serve the sausage and broccoli rabe together.

GRILLED VEAL BIRDS

serves 4–6

When rolled up and skewered, these involtini are thought to resemble little headless birds—leave it to the Italians to think up such a fanciful name!

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons dried currants

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup finely grated pecorino

12 veal cutlets, about 1½ pounds

Lemon wedges

Soak 8–12 wooden skewers in a pan of water to keep them from singeing on the grill.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 10–15 minutes. Stir in the currants, then push the onions and currants to the sides of the skillet. Add the bread crumbs to the center and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5–10 minutes. Stir the onions and currants into the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, and add the red pepper flakes. Set aside to cool, then stir in the pecorino. This makes 1½ cups of filling.

Use the smooth side of a meat pounder on a sturdy work surface and pound each veal cutlet into roughly a 4 × 6-inch rectangle. Season it with salt and pepper. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the bread crumb filling evenly over the meat. Working with one cutlet at a time and starting with a narrow side, fold in the sides to keep the filling contained and roll up the cutlet like a jelly roll. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and filling until there are 12 involtini. Thread up to 4 involtini onto 2 parallel wooden skewers set about 1 inch apart, leaving an inch or two between each veal piece. (Doubling up on the skewers prevents the involtini from swiveling on the skewers.) Drizzle the skewered involtini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill. Grill the involtini until browned on both sides, 1–1½ minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

BRAISED PORK WITH ROMANO & STRING BEANS

serves 6

The beauty of this dish is that from so little effort, comes such tender, flavorful meat with lots of fragrant juices. Pork shoulder is a tough cut (it comes from a “working” or well-exercised part of the pig), so we cook it long and slow until it is fork-tender.

FOR THE PORK

1 boneless pork shoulder or butt,

3–4 pounds

Salt and pepper

Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in wide strips

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

FOR THE BEANS

1 pound Romano beans, trimmed and strings removed

½ pound green string beans, trimmed

½ pound yellow string beans, trimmed

For the pork, lay the meat out on a work surface, fat side down. Season it with plenty of salt and pepper. Tuck the lemon zest into the creases and folds. Gather the loose folds of the pork together to enclose the seasonings and make a neat package by trussing the roast shut with kitchen string. Rub salt and pepper all over the meat. Slide the pork in a resealable plastic bag and seal, squeezing out all of the air. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Preheat the oven to 200°. Slip the pork out of the bag and put it in a large enameled cast-iron or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Rub olive oil all over the meat. Cover the pot. Roast the pork (resisting the urge to peek at it as it cooks) until fragrant, very tender, and lots of juices have accumulated in the pot, about 8 hours.

For the beans, bring a large pot of salted water to a bowl over high heat. Add the Romano beans and cook for 5 minutes. Add the string beans and cook until the Romano and the string beans are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Add the beans to the juices in the pot, then cover to keep warm. Carve the meat (the slices will fall apart somewhat) and arrange a serving platter along with the beans. Spoon the fragrant pot juices over the beans and pork. Drizzle with olive oil.

PORK CHOPS & MARINATED ROASTED PEPPERS

serves 4

It’s funny how our mood will swing between thin pork chops and thicker, juicier ones, without rhyme or reason. We like the thin chops precisely because they’re thin and have the chewy texture of a cutlet. (They’re also less expensive.) They need to cook quickly in a hot skillet—in and out—to keep from getting tough. Thicker meatier chops can be nice and juicy if the pork quality is good and they’re not overcooked. Choose the thickness that suits you, but keep in mind that the marinated roasted peppers are good and meaty, so you may want to lean toward using thin-cut chops.

4 pork chops

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 recipe Marinated Roasted Peppers

Rub the pork chops with a little olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Put a splash of olive oil into a heavy large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Put the chops in the skillet in a single layer and pan-fry until well browned, 3–5 minutes per side. If using thin-cut chops, transfer them to a platter. If cooking thick-cut pork chops, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the chops until the juices run clear when pierced near the bone, 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a platter.

Season the chops with a little salt and pepper. Spoon the marinated peppers and their juices over the pork chops. Serve warm or at room temperature.