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LAMB BASICS
Buying: Fresh or frozen lamb should be reddish-pink in color with white fat marbled throughout. Look for grass-fed lamb, which typically comes from New Zealand, Australia or the United States.
Cooking: The best cooking method varies from cut to cut. Ground lamb is versatile, affordable and perfect for meatballs, while shanks are ideal for braising, and rib racks work for roasting and grilling.
LAMB LOWDOWN
Lamb comes from sheep that are under 1 year of age. The flavor of the meat is determined by the lamb’s feed, therefore grass-fed lamb is typically more robust.
AROUND RVA
Addis: Lega yebeg tibs features cubes of Ethiopian-spice-rubbed lamb served with sauteed onions, garlic and jalapeno.
Burger Bach: The New Zealand-born restaurant's Queenstown burger combines grass-fed lamb, caramelized onions, Gruyere and mushrooms.
The Stables at Belmont: Lamb lollipops are a menu mainstay, and the winter iteration is served with roasted carrots, pistachios and whipped feta.
“What made me want to include lamb on the menu is that unique smell of lamb roasting in the oven.” —Stephen DeRaffele, chef and co-owner of Pinky’s
COOK LIKE A LOCAL
(From left) Pinky's chef and co-owner Stephen DeRaffele with co-owner John Reynolds (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Braised Lamb
By Stephen DeRaffele, chef and co-owner of Pinky’s
Pinky’s chef and co-owner Stephen DeRaffele wanted to highlight the flavors of one of his wife’s favorite foods — barbacoa lamb tacos — but with a Mediterranean twist. To do so, DeRaffele leans on ingredients with a North African flavor profile, including green peppercorn, toasted coriander and allspice. After marinating, the meat gets rubbed with the spice mixture, then braised until tender.
2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and silver skin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the paste:
12 roasted peppers (a mix of jalapenos, poblanos, cubanelles and serranos works well), stems and seeds removed
2 tablespoons minced raw garlic
4 tablespoons roasted garlic
4 tablespoons veal demi glace
For the dry rub:
4 parts granulated garlic
3 parts toasted coriander seeds, thyme, oregano, granulated onion, cumin, sumac
2 parts green peppercorn, cinnamon, toasted cloves
1 part nutmeg, toasted allspice, cardamom
Braising liquid:
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup red wine
Aromatics:
3 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Prepare the pepper paste and set aside. Prepare the dry rub, by toasting and grinding and then combining the spices, and set aside.
Remove lamb from packaging and pat dry. Cover in the pepper paste, salt and dry rub and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least six hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear lamb on all sides and remove to a plate; keep warm. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook for about a minute. Add stock and aromatics. Return lamb to the Dutch oven and cover. Cook in the oven for about six hours, depending on the size of the meat. The meat should be tender and separate easily from the bone when cooking is complete. Remove the meat from braising liquid and break into chunks. Skim the fat from the braising liquid and use an immersion blender to blend the liquid to form a gravy to serve over the lamb.
