For a meat-and-potatoes country, we don’t actually eat a wide variety of meats. We used to in previous centuries, particularly when we relied on the land’s natural abundance of game, but we lost that breadth of enjoyment as mass marketing focused our interests toward the most commercially viable products. Beef, pork, and chicken, all easily raised in quantity, increasingly dominated the market.
Now that may be changing again as American tastes expand and the globalization of flavors gains greater hold. Good lamb is readily available today, and ranchers are even finding ways to reintroduce some of the favorite game meats of the past, particularly venison and bison. Veal and kid remain mostly niche choices of aficionados, but both could be on the cusp of a breakout. Ambitious outdoor cooks should try them all. Tender, tasty, and lean, they raise the curtain high at a party, showing friends that you’re way ahead of the curve in your neighborhood.
With their soaring rib bones, these lamb chops always look handsome on the plate. They’re easy, too, because they need little enhancement and cook in an instant. Use only fresh thyme here; dried won’t do. We’d serve this with something simple but scrumptious, like Basque White Bean and Chorizo Gratin (page 496).
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
Thyme Paste
¼ cup packed fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
18 frenched lamb rib chops, ¾ to 1 inch thick
Flaky salt, such as Maldon or French fleur de sel
At least 1 hour and up to a day before you plan to grill the chops, prepare the paste, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Smear the paste over the chops, including the rib bones. There won’t be a lot per chop, but there will be enough to infuse each with the flavors. Place the chops in a large zippered plastic bag and refrigerate.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Let the chops sit uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, leaving the paste that clings to their surfaces.
Grill the chops over high heat for 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Move the chops to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rotate a half turn each time the chops are turned over for crisscross grill marks.
Arrange 3 chops on each plate, bones leaning against one another, scatter a few flakes of salt over the chops, and serve.
Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Oregano and Feta Cheese Switch herbs, using a similar amount of fresh oregano to replace the thyme. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles and, if you wish, some charred cherry tomatoes. Skewer the tomatoes, brush with oil, and cook alongside the chops until they char a bit on all sides. Slide off the skewer before serving.
Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Dill-Yogurt Sauce Use dill instead of thyme and fresh garlic instead of roasted. Serve with a cool sauce made by stirring together 1 cup plain yogurt (preferably full-fat or low-fat rather than nonfat), 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, 1 minced garlic clove, and about 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.
Lamb loin chops, which resemble tiny T-bone steaks, may lose out to their cousins in a beauty contest, but they hold their own in a tasting matchup. We season them more assertively than rib chops, in this case with an Indian-inspired vinaigrette. Depending on the size of the chops and the appetites of guests, serve one or two per person.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Vindaloo Vinaigrette
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
About 1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne
6 or 12 lamb loin chops, about 1 inch thick
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Whisk together the vinaigrette in a medium bowl, adding enough curry powder and cayenne to make the dressing zesty but short of searing. Give the dressing a last good stir, then divide it approximately in half. Brush one portion of the vinaigrette over both sides of the chops. (You’ll have a little left over if working with only 6 chops.) Let the chops sit uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Drain any extra oil from the chops. Grill them over high heat for 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Move the chops to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rotate a half turn each time the chops are turned over for crisscross grill marks.
Arrange one or two chops on each plate. Give the remaining portion of vinaigrette another stir, then drizzle the chops and the surrounding plates with the dressing and serve.
Lamb can be graded with the same designations as beef, but it’s seldom done because there’s greater consistency in quality. When lamb disappoints, it may mean the meat sat too long at the supermarket from lack of demand. Try to shop where that doesn’t happen. We prefer to buy lamb that hasn’t been shipped frozen from the other side of the world since there’s plenty of delicious meat available from U.S. farmers. Jamison Farms in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (jamisonfarm.com, 800-237-5262), is a great mail-order source for pasture-grazed lamb. No relation to us, John and Sukey Jamison offer mild-tasting, distinctive meat of extraordinary succulence.
The equivalent of beef prime rib, racks of multiple rib chops taste as special as they look. Here we massage them twice with mustard and garlic, then add a crumb coating during the cooking. To increase the surface being seared and more fully distribute the seasoning, without losing the elegant look of the racks, we slice down partway between each of the bones before roasting.
COOKING METHOD | COVERED GRILL ROASTING
Serves 8
Three 8-bone racks of lamb, frenched if you wish
⅔ cup Dijon mustard
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
Crumb Coating
2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Slice down between the bones on each rack of lamb, cutting about ½ inch deep on a frenched rack or 1 inch deep on one that’s not frenched.
Combine the mustard and garlic and set aside half of the mixture. Rub the rest over the lamb racks, including the rib bones. Dump the crumb coating ingredients onto a baking sheet and stir together.
Prepare the grill for covered grill roasting, creating a hot fire on about half of the grill and leaving the other half unheated. Place an inexpensive portable oven thermometer (available from any kitchen supply store) on the unheated portion of the cooking grate. Don’t rely on your grill’s built-in thermometer, because you want to measure the temperature only on the unheated side. Close the grill and bring the temperature to about 450°F. (Some low-powered gas grills may not reach the ideal 450°F roasting temperature. If you have waited an appropriate amount of time for your grill to heat, and the temperature has stopped climbing, note the temperature. For every 25 degrees under 450°F, plan to add about 5 minutes to the overall cooking time of about 20 minutes.)
With tongs, place the lamb racks directly on the cooking grate behind the thermometer, fat side up. Close the cover. Place the reserved mustard mixture and baking sheet with the crumbs next to the grill.
After about 10 minutes, using clean tongs, remove each rack quickly and close the cover. Spread the remaining mustard mixture over the racks, being careful of the hot bones. Dunk each rack into the crumb mixture, patting it on all sides. Return the racks to the grill, rotating them a half turn from their former positions so that they cook evenly.
Continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes more, then check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer stuck into the center from one of the ends. Cook for a few minutes longer, as needed, to reach the rare to medium-rare range, between about 115°F and 125°F. The crumbs should be nicely browned. Transfer the racks to a large cutting board and let sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, arrange on a platter and present the beautiful racks at the table whole, but still let the meat sit for 10 minutes so the juices can settle. Slice into individual chops and serve.
A leg of lamb includes a variety of muscle groups that cook at slightly different rates. We’ve never found it a hardship, because it provides different levels of doneness in the same piece of meat, making it easy to satisfy a diverse group of diners with different tastes. Slice across the grain in each area, watching to see where it shifts and then turning your knife or cutting board as needed to continue across the grain. When you cut across the grain, you sever many muscle fibers, making the meat seem more tender in the mouth.
A leg of lamb to be grilled should be butterflied, spread flat, and pounded lightly to a uniform thickness. Avoid getting a “short” leg that doesn’t include the sirloin, one of the tastiest portions. Start preparations the evening before, so that the lamb has time to absorb the simple Basque country flavors suggested here. After removing it from the refrigerator the next day, be sure to let the meat sit at room temperature for dose to an hour.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 8
Basque Marinade
½ cup flavorful olive oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup minced fresh tarragon or 2 tablespoons crumbled dried
6 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
One 4½- to 5-pound leg of lamb, boned, butterflied, and pounded to uniform thickness, about 1½ to 2 inches
The night before you plan to grill, combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. The mixture will be soupy. Place the lamb over the opening of a large zippered plastic bag and pour the marinade over it. Rub it over the lamb well, then seal and refrigerate overnight.
About 45 to 60 minutes before you plan to grill the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and drain it, discarding the marinade. Let the meat sit uncovered at room temperature.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the lamb uncovered over high heat for 2½ to 3 minutes per side. Move the lamb to medium heat, turning it again. Continue grilling for 12 to 16 minutes for medium-rare, turning it at least two more times. Check the meat through the side in several places with an instant-read thermometer. We prefer the meat with sections done between a very rare 112°F and about 128°F, which will look cooked through but remain juicy.
Transfer the leg from the grill to a large cutting board and tent loosely with foil for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle. Slice thinly across the muscle grain, changing directions as the grain changes, and serve.
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Crispy Bits We like the contrast of crispy bread crumbs with any cut of lamb. To combine them with a grilled leg of lamb, make them separately in a skillet on a side burner or in the kitchen while the lamb sits after coming off the grill. Sauté 1 cup fresh bread crumbs made from chewy country bread in 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter over medium heat briefly, until golden and crunchy. Spoon out the crumbs onto paper towels so they don’t overcook. Scatter a tablespoon or two of crumbs over each portion of lamb just before serving.
Grilled Leg of Lamb Primavera Use fresh tarragon in the marinade. Serve with Cucumber Relish (page 70), also made with fresh tarragon. A breath of springtime.
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Chinese Seasonings Omit the marinade. Instead, rub the leg with Chinese Seven-Spice Seasoning (page 33). If you like, serve with Plum-Hoisin Sauce (page 57). The sauce can be brushed on about 5 minutes before removing from the grill, then served at the table as well.
an Easter Garden Picnic
Smoked Salmon Stuffed Eggs (page 87)
Smoked Shrimp with Roasted Lemon (page 239)
Spit-Roasted Leg of Lamb
Scalloped potatoes with chives
El Farol’s Grilled Artichokes in Saffron Butter (page 442)
Rhubarb or strawberry-rhubarb pie
Fire-roasted lamb, rubbed with a rich assortment of fresh or dried herbs, is a classic preparation in many areas of the world. The dry spice mixture we use here should sit on the lamb for most of a day or overnight, so plan accordingly. If you want to add a sauce, we would go with creamy Provençal Mustard and Honey Sauce (page 55). In season, consider garnishing each plate with a couple of stems of culinary lavender.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 8
Herbes de Grillade
2 tablespoons crumbled dried rosemary
2 tablespoons crumbled dried basil
2 tablespoons crumbled dried marjoram
2 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
One 5- to 5½-pound boned and tied leg of lamb
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Fresh culinary lavender or rosemary sprigs, optional
At least 1 hour and up to a day ahead of when you plan to roast the leg of lamb, combine the dry rub ingredients in a medium bowl. If very coarse, crumble more with your fingers or give the mixture a whir in a blender.
Place the lamb over the opening of a large plastic bag. Rub it with the olive oil. Spread the dry spice mixture over the lamb, getting it into the meat’s many crevices. Nudge garlic slices in and around evenly, too. Pull the bag up over the lamb and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
About an hour before you plan to roast the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit uncovered at room temperature.
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place, and heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the heat to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, facing the center. Next slide on the lamb, running the spit through the center and working it through the meat. Secure the first end to the prong. Slide on the second prong and attach it to the other end of the meat.
Grill-toasted lavender, like rosemary, imparts an elusively delicious note to meats. Add some lavender stems both early and late in the lamb’s roasting. Be sure to use culinary lavender, so that the lamb doesn’t end up smelling and tasting like medicine. Many shops or market vendors that carry lavender products offer the stems dried and bundled for grilling. If you have your own plants, it’s even easier.
Reposition the lamb in the center of the spit and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place. Attach the spit to the motor.
Place a shallow drip pan under the lamb to catch the drippings. (If your rotisserie sits directly over the fire, keep the pan as small as possible to avoid blocking much of the heat. This may increase the projected cooking time by a few minutes.). Turn on the power.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say not to. Plan on a total roasting time of 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the mass of the lamb and the type of rotisserie. Cook until well browned. Baste once with the drippings after about 30 minutes. Don’t open the grill too often, or you will increase the cooking time substantially. Check the meat in several places with an instant-read thermometer. We prefer the meat with sections done at least to a very rare 112°F and up to about 128°F, which will look cooked through but remain juicy.
With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide the lamb and prongs off. Rest the lamb on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs. Tent loosely with foil and let sit for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle. Degrease the warm pan drippings to serve along with the lamb if you wish.
Snip off the twine or netting. Slice thinly across the muscle grain, changing directions as the grain changes. Garnish if you like with lavender and serve.
Meat on a stick seems to satisfy and relax everyone. These colorful skewers are based on traditional Middle Eastern or Turkish kebabs-marinated in garlic, olive oil, and lemon-though we add a fruity note of fig or raspberry vinegar to the sauce. Keep the vegetables a bit smaller than the cubes of meat and they will develop some tenderness before the meat gets overly done. Kebabs make any dinner a party.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
2 pounds lamb loin or sirloin, cut into 1½-inches cubes
½ cup flavorful olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons coarsely ground dried Aleppo pepper or 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Cilantro-Mint Sauce
¾ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
½ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
7 tablespoons fig or raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
12 long metal skewers
1 large onion, red or white, cut into ¾- to 1-inch chunks
2 large bell peppers, 1 green and 1 red, yellow, or orange, cut into ¾- to 1-inch pieces
Flavorful olive oil, optional
At least 1 ½ hours and up to a day before you plan to grill, place the lamb cubes in a zippered plastic bag. Cover them with the oil, garlic, red pepper, and salt. Seal, toss back and forth to coat evenly, and refrigerate.
Shortly before you plan to cook, prepare the sauce. Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender with 1 tablespoon water until pureed. Reserve at room temperature.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the meat, patting the surface dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
Skewer the meat and vegetables, avoiding crowding. Alternate lamb cubes with an onion chunk and 3 pepper pieces.
Grill the kebabs uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes, turning on all sides. The kebabs are ready when well browned with medium-rare or medium centers and tender-crisp vegetables. If they look dry at any point, brush with a bit of oil. Spoon pools of the sauce on individual plates and set the kebabs over the sauce, 2 skewers per person.
Lamb Kebabs with Garlic-Orange Sherry Vinaigrette Add a Spanish note by replacing the cilantro-mint sauce with Garlic-Orange Sherry Vinaigrette (page 64). If you like, replace the Aleppo pepper in the marinade with a similar amount of sweet, hot, or smoked Spanish paprika.
Lamb Kebabs with Charred Tomato Vinaigrette Omit the sauce. To make the vinaigrette, grill 2 small plum tomatoes (about 2 ounces each) over medium to high heat, turning on all sides, until they soften and the skins blister and char in spots, about 5 minutes. Combine the tomatoes with those blackened skins in a blender with ¼ cup flavorful olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped onion, 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, and salt, then puree. If you like, brush a little of the vinaigrette over the kebabs in their last few minutes on the grill. Spoon the rest under or over the finished kebabs.
Lamb Kebabs, Even Simpler Skip any sauce and serve the kebabs with wedges of lemon instead.
Dishes made from patties of ground lamb ring the Mediterranean. Here we blend them with mint and cumin to increase the complexity of flavor and then mold them to skewers for grilling. Like a good burger relative to beef filet, these are as satisfying as leg of lamb or kebabs made from the loin. They just fit a different mood.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 to 8
Black Olive and Lemon Relish
1½ cups pitted briny black olives, such as Kalamata, coarsely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
¼ cup drained and rinsed capers
Kebabs
2 pounds freshly ground lamb
¼ cup minced onion
1 plump garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon crumbled dried mint
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
12 metal skewers, preferably flat
2 dozen small onions, such as “boiling” onions, parcooked until nearly tender
Olive oil spray
Prepare the relish, stirring the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Prepare the kebab mixture, combining the ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for at least 20 minutes before forming into oval patties about 1 inch thick and a couple of inches long. Skewer the patties, 2 or 3 per kebab, reshaping them as needed as you go and interspersing with onions so that they are divided evenly among the skewers. Spray with oil and return to the refrigerator.
Fire up the grill to medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the chilled kebabs uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, turning on all sides. If the skewers aren’t flat, the lamb patties may twist a bit, so nudge the patties with tongs if needed to make sure they roll over properly. We prefer fer the kebabs nicely browned and mediumrare, but you can cook for an additional couple of minutes if you wish. Sen e 2 kebabs per person with relish spooned beside or over the kebabs.
The International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, which raises money for local churches and charities, Is a great time to visit the friendly Ohio River town. You won’t have any trouble getting your fill of barbecued mutton and burgoo, a traditional Kentucky meat and vegetable stew. Some Owensboro families now boast their fifth generation of barbecue pitmasters. You don’t see a lot of sheep in surrounding fields today, but in the past they greatly outnumbered cattle. If you can’t make the festival, come any other time of the year for a barbecue and burgoo feast at the venerable Moonlite Bar-B-Q. At the restaurant, the Bosley family smokes mutton for about eight hours, bastes or dips the meat in a Worcestershire-laced liquid, then continues cooking for about six more hours, until the meat’s darkly crisp on the surface and pulls apart into a mass of tender morsels. You’ll fall asleep counting the sheep you ate.
The folks in Owensboro, Kentucky, carry on one of the country’s strongest barbecue traditions, but nobody there is arguing over the merits of pork versus beef. In their pits they’re slow-smoking mutton-more than ten tons of it just during the May International Bar-B-Q Festival alone. We cheat a bit with our recipe, since mutton is seldom available commercially in most of the country. We substitute instead a shoulder roast from a full-grown “yearling” lamb. The flavor is distinctive but mild-definitely worth a try. You may need to order this cut from your butcher in advance.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6 or more
One 7- to 8-pound lamb shoulder roast, preferably from a “yearling” lamb
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
Peppery Lamb Rub
½ cup ground black pepper
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Lamb Mop, optional
One 12-ounce bottle or can beer or 1½ cups beef stock
¾ cup white vinegar
cup Worcestershire sauce
Black Magic (page 33), optional
The evening before you plan to barbecue, arrange the lamb shoulder over the opening of a large plastic bag. Coat the lamb with the Worcestershire sauce. Prepare the rub, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the rub if you plan to baste the meat. Coat the meat with the rest of the rub, massaging it well into all the crevices and crannies. Pull the bag up over the lamb, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
If you plan to baste the meat, mix together the mop ingredients and remaining rub with ¾ cup water in a saucepan. Warm over low heat.
Transfer the meat to the smoker, fatty side up. Cook for about 1½ hours per pound, basting the lamb with the mop about once an hour in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate in your style of smoker. When ready, the meat should be very dark on the surface and well done and tender, with an internal temperature of about 170°F.
an Owensboro Barbecue
Mint juleps
Wilted lettuce salad with Warm Bacon Dressing (page 446)
Barbecued Lamb, Owensboro Style Kentucky Burgoo (page 485)
Cornbread with pimiento cheese spread
Grilled Green Tomatoes (page 459)
Sautéed baby lima beans
Bread pudding with Kentucky bourbon hard sauce or peanut butter pie
Remove the meat from the smoker. Wrap in foil and let sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Unwrap and pull into shreds or chop finely, discarding the bones and fat. Accompany with Black Magic sauce if you wish.
Barbecued Lamb Shoulder Sandwiches Chop some of the lamb, or some of the leftovers, and make sandwiches between slices of rye bread. Add some slices of dill pickle and onion and top with Black Magic (page 53) barbecue sauce.
Lamb makes delicious smoked sausage, particularly when it boasts this heady, fragrant blend of sweet and savory spices that came originally from North Africa and includes harissa, Moroccan chile paste sold in small jars or tubes. You can form the sausages quickly since they don’t need casings and smoke them almost as fast. Optional pomegranate seeds scattered over the plates resemble rubies and add a festive fresh and tangy note.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6
2¼ pounds lamb shoulder, loin, or various trimmings, ground with its fat by your butcher
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sweet paprika or half sweet and half hot or smoked
2 tablespoons flavorful olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons harissa or cayenne, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Lamb Sausage Mop
½ cup pomegranate or orange juice
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
Pomegranate seeds, optional
Combine the sausage ingredients in a large mixing bowl, starting with the smaller quantities of salt and harissa. This will probably be easiest with clean fingers.
Fry up a small amount of the sausage in a small skillet and, if you wish, adjust the seasonings. Keep in mind that the flavors will blend and mellow after the sausage is refrigerated and smoked. Refrigerate covered for at least a few hours and up to several days.
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
We love pomegranate seeds, but not the stains the crimson juice can leave all over us, our clothes, and our kitchen. Look for the seeds being sold separately in plastic bags during their fall-into-winter season, a nifty timesaver. If they’re not available, we seed the pomegranates in our deep sink to keep juice splatters to a minimum, then wash our hands with soap and lemon juice right away. We prefer doing the seeding a day before a party, in case of an accidental mess. All is forgotten once you see those little jewels garnishing a plate.
Form the meat into patties about ½ inch thick and 3 inches in diameter.
If you plan to baste the sausage, mix together the mop ingredients with ½ cup water in a small pan. Warm the liquid over low heat.
Transfer the sausage patties to the smoker. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, until cooked through and richly brown. Mop every 20 minutes in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate in your style of smoker. Serve hot, garnished with pomegranate seeds if you wish.
Grilled Spicy Lamb Sausage Instead of forming the sausage into round patties, make them oblong and skewer them together, as was done in the previous kebab recipe. Brush or spray them with olive oil before grilling briefly over medium heat until brown and crisp but still juicy. The mop won’t be needed for the quick, hot cooking.
When you’ve got meaty inch-thick chops, the best veal for grilling, elemental is elegant as well. Unlike its grown-up counterpart, beef, veal needs more care over the flame to bring it to succulent doneness. Try to get bone-in veal rib chops, particularly juicy, and serve them with something simple, such as a potato gratin or linguine tossed with top-notch olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and hot red pepper flakes.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
¼ cup flavorful olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
About 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, or tarragon
Six 1-inch-thick veal chops, preferably rib chops, about ¾ pound each
Your best extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon or French fleur de sel
Freshly cracked black pepper
Lemon wedges, fresh sage, thyme, or tarragon sprigs, or both
About 30 minutes before you plan to grill the veal chops, mix together the oil, garlic, salt, and sage in a small bowl. Coat the chops with the mixture, cover them, and let sit at room temperature.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking on high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and just below medium (6 seconds with the hand test).
Plan on a total cooking time of about 15 minutes. Grill the chops over high heat for 1½ minutes on each side. Move the chops to medium-low heat, rotating to get crisscross grill marks, and cook for about 6 to 7 additional minutes per side. Be careful to avoid cooking the chops beyond medium-rare or an internal temperature of 130°F to avoid drying out the meat. Plate the chops and drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Scatter a few flakes of salt and cracked pepper over each chop. Garnish with lemon wedges or herb sprigs and serve.
Grilled Veal Chops with Truffle Oil Replace the olive oil for marinating with vegetable oil. Immediately after cooking, replace the extra virgin olive oil with high-quality truffle oil.
* Our favorite cut of young beef for cooking outdoors is the veal rib chop, the equivalent of what would grow up to be a rib-eye steak.
* Look for a uniform fine grain and pale pinkness, though the color will be a few shades deeper in veal raised naturally.
* When grilling veal chops, you want to get a good browning on the surface, but don’t grill them as aggressively as a beef cut.
* Cook the meat no more than to medium-rare for peak flavor and succulence.
At annual rites of castration and branding on western ranches, cowhands sometimes celebrate the event by frying the fresh calf testicles for a range feast. In polite company, they would call their treat “Rocky Mountain oysters,” which they resemble. Still found occasionally on restaurant menus, particularly in Texas, the calf fries taste a little like sweetbreads. If you come across some, fresh or frozen, slice them no more than ½ inch thick, coat in seasoned flour, and deep-fry for a minute or two at 350°F until brown and crisp.
Mild, lean veal gains depth of flavor from light smoking, particularly over a fruitwood. To keep it from drying out, we use a moist stuffing. You may have to order this special-occasion roast from your butcher in advance.
COOKING METHOD | SMOKING
Serves 6
White Wine Soak and Mop
1 ½ cups dry white wine
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
One 2-pound sirloin tip veal roast, about
2 inches thick, cut with a pocket for stuffing
Filling
3 ounces pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon), chopped
2 tablespoons minced onion
¼ pound ground veal
4 pitted dates, chopped
¼ cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Pinch of ground cinnamon
The night before you plan to smoke the veal, combine the soak ingredients in a medium bowl. Place the meat in a large zippered plastic bag and pour the marinade over it, making sure some goes into the roast’s pocket. Seal and refrigerate the meat overnight.
Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200°F to 250°F.
Remove the roast from the refrigerator and drain the marinade, reserving it if you want to mop the meat. Let the roast sit for 30 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the filling.
In a medium skillet, briefly fry the pancetta over medium heat, until lightly brown and crisp. Add the onion and sauté for another minute, then stir in the ground veal and cook until it has lost its raw color. Spoon the mixture into a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients. Cool for 10 minutes. Stuff the roast loosely with the filling.
If you are going to baste the meat, heat the marinade with ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mop mixture to a boil over high heat and boil for several minutes. Keep the mop warm over low heat.
Warm a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the meat quickly on both sides. Transfer the veal to the smoker. Cook for 1¾ to 2 hours, mopping every 20 to 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate for your style of smoker. The roast is best when the internal temperature reaches 145°F to 150°F, which is medium-rare.
Remove the veal from the smoker, tent it with foil, and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Slice across the roast, so that each serving has some of the filling, and serve.
A festive food in Greek-American neighborhoods and throughout the Spanish-speaking Southwest, cabrito is the Mexican name for milk-fed kid. Slaughtered between the spring and late summer at an age of 30 to 40 days old, cabrito usually weighs 10 to 15 pounds. You may have to go directly to a farmer for the meat, but it’s worth the trouble. Sometimes cabrito is spit-roasted, other times staked over a lazy fire, but we prefer to smoke it barbecue style. The staggered cooking of the meatier and bonier quarters should allow them to come out of the smoker at close to the same time.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 8 to 10
Mint and Chile Recado
2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves
½ to 1 cup chopped mild to medium green chile, such as New Mexican, Anaheim, or poblano
½ cup lightly packed roasted garlic cloves
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 cup olive oil
1 cabrito (kid), preferably 10 to 12 pounds, quartered
Cabrito Mop, optional
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup flavorful olive oil
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
The night before you plan to barbecue, prepare the recado paste in a food processor. First process the mint, chile, garlic, and salt until finely chopped. Add the lime juice and then the olive oil in a slow stream, until a thick paste forms. Rub the paste over the cabrito, covering the meat evenly. Place the forequarters in one large plastic bag, the hindquarters in another, and refrigerate the cabrito overnight.
a Cinco de Mayo Barbecue
Guadalajara Rojo (page 81)
Shocking Pink Sangria (page 75)
Guacamole and chips
Jicama slices with lime juice and a sprinkle of ground dried red chile
Cabrito Verde
Nuevo Rice and Beans (page 492)
Flan (page 521)
Think about the length of any party you’re hosting. For a daytime affair, or after-work cocktails with appetizers, two hours is a good amount of time. Double that for an evening dinner. Six hours pushes the outer limits unless it’s an open house where guests expect to come and go. Remember, you’ll win points by leaving them wanting more.
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Remove the meatier hindquarters from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
If you plan to baste the meat, mix the mop ingredients in a saucepan and warm the liquid over low heat.
Transfer the hindquarters to the smoker. Remove the forequarters from the refrigerator and let them sit covered at room temperature for 30 minutes, then add them to the smoker. Cook the meat for about 1 hour per pound of weight for each quarter. The skinny forequarters take less time than the meaty hindquarters, which usually require 4 to 5 hours, depending on size. In a wood-burning pit, turn the meat and drizzle the mop over it every 30 minutes. In other styles of smokers, baste as appropriate and turn the meat at the same time.
When the cabrito is done, remove it from the smoker. Let it sit tented with foil for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. Slice or shred the meat and serve.
Cabrito with Sage Paste This is another wonderful way to enjoy kid. Replace the recado with a paste made of 3 cups fresh sage leaves, 1 whole head of garlic, peeled, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 2 cups inexpensive olive oil blended together.
Buffalo (American bison) bears a lot of similarity to beef, at least on the plate. Some people call the meat sweeter or more intense, but the cuts are the same as for beef, even if steaks are a step down in size and up in price. Blame the expense on western pioneers who ruthlessly slaughtered the greatest aggregation of wild meat animals ever gathered on earth. Native American ranchers have taken the lead in restoring the breed, and farm-raised herds, now numbering in the hundreds of thousands, exist throughout the U.S. today. One mail-order source of the meat is Thunder Heart Bison (thunder-heartbison.com, 210-930-0841).
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Six 8- to 10-ounce rib-eye or strip buffalo steaks, 1 inch thick each
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Stir together the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the buffalo steaks. Sprinkle with the pepper, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the steaks uncovered over high heat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the steaks to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for 2 to 2½ minutes per side for medium-rare. The steaks should be turned at least 3 times, more often if juice begins to form on the surface. Serve immediately.
Chutney goes great with game. We developed this dried-fruit version for the most special cut of venison, the backstrap or tenderloin. If you don’t have the whole white peppercorns called for in the recipe, don’t substitute preground, which can taste like medicine-tinged sawdust. Instead, replace them with whole black peppercorns.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Dried Fruit Chutney
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup dried apricots or a combination of dried apricots and dried plums (prunes), diced
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup sugar, or more to taste
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon mustard seeds or dry mustard
Two ¾- to 1-pound venison tenderloin (backstrap) sections
Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
About 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
Prepare the chutney, combining the ingredients in a heavy saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fruit is soft and the mixture somewhat thickened. Cool to room temperature, then remove the cinnamon stick. Refrigerate covered for up to a week, if you wish, or use right away.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Rub or spray the venison with the oil, then sprinkle with salt
Place the white peppercorns in a plastic bag and give the bag a few good hits with a meat pounder, just enough to crack the peppercorns coarsely. Reserve.
Grill the venison uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, turning on all sides. The venison is ready when the internal temperature reaches 125°F to 130°F. Do not overcook. Let the venison sit covered with foil for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice thinly. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of chutney on each plate. Arrange the venison fanned around the chutney and sprinkle with cracked white pepper. Serve right away.
Once these grilled medallions come off the fire, don’t delay in eating them. It’s better for the guests to wait for fine venison than for venison to wait for fine guests.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Venison Dry Rub
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons coarse salt either kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 to 3 juniper berries, crushed
12 venison medallions, from the loin or tenderloin, about 3 ounces each and 1 to 1¼ inches thick
Honey-Syrah Sauce
3 cups Syrah, Shiraz, or other hearty dry red wine
1 cup beef or venison stock
3 tablespoons honey
1 bay leaf
2 to 3 juniper berries, crushed Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
At least 1½ hours and up to a day before you plan to grill the venison, mix the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, then coat the venison on all sides. Venison can dry out quickly, so place it in a zippered plastic bag right away. Seal and refrigerate.
Prepare the sauce ahead and refrigerate it if you wish or simply make it shortly before you plan to begin cooking. Combine the wine, stock, honey, bay leaf, and juniper berries in a large saucepan. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the sauce until reduced to about 1½ cups. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt if needed, then whisk the butter into the sauce and keep warm.
* Once upon a time, venison referred to any animal killed in the chase or hunt Now, according to the USDA, the term can be used to market any meat from the deer or antelope families, including elk, caribou, pronghorn, and even moose.
* Deer sold commercially in the U.S. are nonnative species, like axis and sika deer and nilgai antelope, introduced to this country as game animals for harvesting and eating.
* Our favorite mail-order source for venison is Broken Arrow Ranch (800-962-4263, brokenarrowranch.com) in the south-central Texas Hill Country. The deer and antelope graze on a natural diet of herbs and native grasses and require much less water and care than cattle and most other domestic livestock. Because of careful harvesting techniques, this venison has none of the gamy flavor found in poorly processed meat
* Venison is so lean that tender cuts like loin should not be cooked beyond medium-rare.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Let the venison sit covered at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Grill the venison uncovered over high heat for a total of 5 to 7 minutes, turning to face the fire twice on each side. Rotate the medallions a half turn each time for crisscross grill marks. Don’t cook beyond medium-rare.
Spoon the sauce onto plates, arrange 2 medallions per person, and serve right away.
Smoked Venison Medallions with Honey-Syrah Sauce Instead of grilling the venison medallions, smoke them at 200°F to 250°F. After the seasoned venison has sat at room temperature, warm 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the venison medallions and sear them on both sides, a matter of just seconds. Transfer the venison immediately to the smoker and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the meat is lightly smoked and medium-rare.
Smoke the venison for this elegant pâté a day or two in advance, allowing the pâté to sit at least overnight before serving. It makes a great meal-noon or night, summer or winter-with grainy mustard, some small sour pickles, and big hunks of crusty country bread.
COOKING METHOD | SMOKING
Serves 8 or more
¾ cup diced bacon
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1½ cups chopped yellow onion pounds ground venison
½ cup brandy
½ cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in ½ cup whipping cream or half-and-half 2 large eggs
½ cup diced dried apricots or halved dried cherries
cup minced cornichons or other sour pickles
2 tablespoons minced roasted garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the top of the pâté
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Cornichons or other sour pickles
Whole grain mustard
Crusty country bread
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 200°F to 250°F.
Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until just crisp and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain it, and place it in a large bowl. Stir the butter into the warm drippings to melt and add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sauté the onion slowly until quite soft and pale yellow. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the bacon. Cool briefly. Mix in the venison, brandy, bread crumbs, eggs, apricots, cornichons, garlic, salt, pepper, and allspice. Using clean hands is the easiest way to combine it evenly.
Scrape the mixture into a large loaf pan. Smooth and pat down the pâté to eliminate air pockets. Sprinkle the top with more black pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
Place the loaf pan into a shallow larger pan to make a water bath. Fill the larger pan with 1 to 1½ inches of warm water.
Transfer the loaf pan, surrounded by the water bath, to the smoker. Plan on a total cooking time of about 2¾ to 3 hours. Cook for 1 hour, then uncover the pâté and continue cooking until the internal temperature, checked with an instant-read thermometer, is 160°F. Add more warm water to the water bath as needed. Leave the pàté in the loaf pan and let it cool for about 20 minutes. Cover again with foil, tightly this time, then arrange a heavy weight (maybe a couple of cans) directly over the pâté. Refrigerate overnight or for up to several days.
Before serving, slice the pâté about ½ inch thick, providing at least 2 slices for main-dish portions. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving with the accompaniments.