Lamb Sausage - Shepherds and Flocks for Hire

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bob and I were at the King winery this past weekend. We had gone to watch a marathon and sample a flight or two of some highly recommended wines. We weren't the only visitors. Sheep, an uncommon occurrence on the estate, were grazing in the orchards and the vineyards. The flocks had been rented to assist in "vegetation control". Goats, as in herds for hire, are not uncommon here. The state uses them to clear vegetation on slopes that are too steep for highway crews to safely work on. This was, however, the first time I'd seen sheep used to clear the land of others. It seems they are more discriminating in what they eat than goats, and there is less chance they will eat vines or damage trees. While watching the race, I struck up a conversation with the man standing next to me. I asked him what he did. He said he was a shepherd. Choking back a laugh, I was about to introduce myself as Mother Goose, but my better angels and long dead mother stopped me. Turns out, he was one of three people responsible for the flocks. He was the "lead shepherd". His words, not mine. A lot of lamb is raised in the areas surrounding the estate, so the same farms that supplied sheep for vineyard maintenance also provided a fresh supply of lamb for my freezer. I have several recipes that I've wanted to try and I though this would be a great time to test those for lamb sausage. I'll be featuring them over the course of the next two weeks. This recipe is based on one developed by Michael Symon. His recipe makes a delicious Middle Eastern-style sausage but it is very spicy and I'm not sure it would appeal to all of you. So, I've cut way back on the amount and source of the chilies used to season the lamb. I've also taken a few shortcuts that make the sausage easier to prepare. I hope you'll give the recipe a try. If you like lamb, I know you'll like this sausage. Here's the recipe.

Lamb Sausage... from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Michael Symon, Live to Eat

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced shallot
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (Pimenton)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
1) Warm oil in a medium frying pan. When oil shimmers, saute shallots over medium heat until translucent , about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
2) Combine onions, garlic, lamb, paprika, pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cover and chill from 2 to 24 hours. Form into patties or logs. Sausage may be refrigerated for up to a week. It may also be frozen. Fry over medium heat until patties reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Yield: 12 patties.

As an afterthought, I thought some of you might enjoy reading about the sheep at the King Estate Winery. Here's a bit more information for you.

The Sheep Are Back
Sheep in the Vineyard






One Year Ago Today: Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs














Two Years Ago Today: Raspberry Yogurt Parfait








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How to Make Homemade Sausage - Simply Recipes
Making Andouille Sausage - New Orleans Cuisine
How to Make Sausage - Michael Ruhlman
How to Make Italian Sausage - Farmgirl Fare
How to Make Polish Kielbasa - About Eastern European Food
Smoked Beef Sausages - Menu in Progress

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Lamb Shreds with Deep-Fried Rice Vermicelli

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the most memorable meals we've had while traveling, was in the Muslim quarter of Xi'an, China. The food culture in this area is based on bread and noodles, and while pork is the meat of choice in most of the city, only lamb or beef are served within the Muslim quarter. The city is famous for hot pots and dumplings, but the dish that I most remember was one made by a street vendor situated just outside the mosque. Defying common sense and suspect sanitation, residents and tourists alike patiently queued for plates of fragrant and spicy lamb piled atop clouds of deep-fried rice vermicelli. It was in a word, wonderful. Once home, I, of course, attempted to duplicate the dish. I found a recipe developed by Jacki Passmore that was awfully close to the dish I remembered. I fiddled with it a bit and finally came up with something we really liked. I also developed an unintended reputation. My grandsons, watching the vermicelli expand as it was fried, were sure I had magical powers unknown to other grandmothers. I was a witch sorceress. This dish is very easy to prepare, even if you lack special powers, and it is wonderful to serve when the weather is being schizophrenic. While the dish is light, the hot sauce will beat back winter's chill. I think you will enjoy the lamb. The children will enjoy the crunchy noodles. Here's the recipe.

Lamb Shreds with Deep-Fried Rice Vermicelli...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Jacki Passmore

Ingredients:
Seasoning
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 pound lean lamb, thinly sliced and cut into fine shreds or very thin batons
Noodles
4 cups vegetable oil
2-ounces rice vermicelli
Vegetables
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut in thin wedges
Sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt + salt to taste
Garnish
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
1 tablespoons finely sliced scallion greens

Directions:
1) To make seasoning: Combne rice wine, brown sugar and hoisin sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Add lamb shreds and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
2) To make noodles: Heal oil in a wok or large, deep skillet until temperature is 375 degrees F. Slide noodles into oil and cook just long enough for the noodle mass to expand. Quickly turn and cook the other side, about 1 minute more. Do not let noodles color. They should remain cloud-like and puffy. Lift into a colander that is lined with several thicknesses of paper. Set aside.
3) To make vegetables: In a separate skillet, heat vegetable and sesame oils until almost smoking. Add onion wedges and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add lamb to skillet and stir-fry for 2 minutes longer. Return onions to pan and toss with lamb to mix.
4) To make sauce: Add hoisin sauce, chili sauce and salt to pan. Toss to coat and cook about 30 seconds longer. Add salt to taste. Remove pan from heat.
5) To serve: Spread vermicelli on a serving platter. Spoon lamb over noodles and garnish with orange peel and chopped scallions. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

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Vegetarian Vermicelli Stir-Fry - Indochine Kitchen
Thai Pork Stir Fry - Pots and Plots
Chicken-Stir Fry with Noodles - Food and Whine

Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I make stuffed peppers once or twice a year. When I was newly married, they were touted as an inexpensive dish that all budget conscious cooks should master. The trouble, then and now, is that they're not a bargain to make and it's really possible for non-vegan types to buy a steak or gorgeous piece of fish for what they cost to assemble. Now, for those who love stuffed peppers, the cost is inconsequential and they can be enjoyed at any time of year. Those who like, but do not love them, are usually more circumspect and will enjoy them towards the end of summer when peppers are plentiful and can be purchased for just pennies on the dollar. Following the holiday, I was left with 6 gorgeous red peppers of the non-bargain variety. They had originally been purchased for a stir-fry of red and green peppers that never happened. I wanted to use the peppers before they began to wither in the vegetable crisper and stuffed peppers came to mind. I ran with the idea. I have several recipes for them and, I promise, before we're finished with each other, you'll have them all. However, the one I want to share with you today, is one I used when my children were still fairly young and not yet ready for truly spicy food. These are vaguely Moroccan in taste but they are mild and very pleasant on the tongue. I use lamb to make these because I think it is a better fit for the spices used in the recipe. The recipe appeared in Sunset magazine nearly thirty years ago. I've played with it, but it closely follows the one they published all those years ago. If you are looking for a recipe for stuffed peppers, I think you'll like this one. Technically, you need not serve anything with them, but I think they look so naked when plated by themselves that I weaken and serve them with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed spinach. Here's how the peppers are made.

Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large egg
Salt (About 1 teaspoon)
Optional garnish: toasted pine nuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Stem peppers. Cut tops from bell peppers. Reserve. Remove ribs and seeds. Finely chop reserved tops. Set aside
3) Brown lamb in large frying pan set over medium heat. Add onion and reserved bell pepper. Cook until onion is limp and becomes translucent. Remove from heat. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Stir in rice, catsup, raisins, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper and egg. Add salt to taste.
4) Fill peppers with rice mixture. Bake until peppers are soft when pierced with tip of a knife, about 30 to 40 minutes. Garnish with pine nuts if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Glaze

Featured in Food News Journal, Best of the Blogs - January 10, 2011

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For better or for worse we are a nation of meat eaters. On average, a typical American consumes 61 pounds of beef, 59 pounds of chicken and 46 pounds of pork each year. Strangely enough, that love of meat does not extend to lamb, and that typical American will eat less than a pound of it a year. Buried in the data is the fact that fully one-third of Americans have never tasted lamb. Those numbers astound me. I live in a region where sheep are raised and lamb is readily available. It is also fairly priced. Bob and I have lamb at least four times a month and enjoy it immensely. I suspect we skew the numbers that statisticians report. I know for a fact that my family consumes at least 50 pounds of lamb in the course of a year, and the Armenian family at the bottom of our hill consumes even more of it than we do. We have our own little "cluster" on this hillside and that means because we eat so much of it, 200 of you probably aren't eating any at all. More's the pity. Because we have lamb so often, I make it a point to look for new recipes and ways to cook it. Among the holdovers I had from the holiday, were four double cut lamb chops and some generic pomegranate juice and seeds. I searched for a recipe that used those three ingredients, and Google found one developed by the California Sheep Commission. It was exactly what I was looking for. While the recipe is quite easy to do, the lamb requires at least 8 hours to marinate, so, you'll have to plan accordingly. This is a lovely recipe. You will have to watch the chops closely as they brown very quickly and can burn. I hope you'll give it a try. Here's how the chops are made.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of California Sheep Commission

Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves + mint leaves for garnish
4 double-thick lamb loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
Garnish: 1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds

Directions:
1) Combine pomegranate juice, garlic, peppercorns and chopped mint in non-reactive bowl; mix well. Add chops and turn several times to coat all sides. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
2) Remove chops from marinade; drain and set aside. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
3) Brush chops with reduced marinade and oil. Salt.
4) Broil or grill chops about 3 inches from heat, brushing once or twice with marinade. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium and 9 to 10 minutes for well done. Yield: 4 servings.

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Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My family loves lamb in all its iterations, and while they're visiting we'll enjoy it several times. We were out for most of the day, so dinner had to be quick and light enough to overcome the damage done by a lunch of thickly battered fish and chips. Lamb chops are perfect for a quick, light meal. The chops I prepared are based on a dish that is served in the village of Las Pedroneras, which is considered to be the garlic capital of Spain. The recipe was originally developed by Janet Mendel for Food and Wine magazine, and she has given us a classic that I've made over and over again with slight variations. The chops cook very quickly, so it's best to have your sides ready to go before you begin to saute them. I served the chops with a lovely pilaf, that I'll be featuring later in the week, and with an Andalusian Salad that's made with oranges, avocados and almonds. It really was a satisfying dinner that had lovely color and variety of textures as well. While I should have made a flan to end the meal, I decided, instead, to serve a lovely lemon scented iced milk with berries and a wine sauce that been featured here before. The original recipe calls for thin loin chops, but I prefer to use double cut chops instead. Visiting family was made to be spoiled and if you're in for a penny, you may as well be in for a pound. Those who try these chops will love them. Here's how they're made.

Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Janet Mendel

Ingredients:
8 double cut lamb loin chops, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or a pich of dried
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 small garlic cloves, halved
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1) Season lamb with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with thyme. In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add lamb chops and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until chops are browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. If garlic looks like it might burn remove it from the pan. Turn over chops and garlic and cook until chops are browned, about 5 minutes longer for medium meat. Transfer chops to plates, leaving the garlic in the skillet.
2) Add wine, lemon juice, parsley and crushed red pepper to pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until sizzling, about 1 minute. Pour garlic and pan sauce over the lamb chops and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

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Pastitsio - Lamb and Eggplant Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Casseroles are a bit like life. They're not always pretty, they can be messy and full of surprises, but when all is said and done, they are enormously satisfying. Casseroles have been with us since women began tending pots suspended over fire, but the idea of the casserole as a one-dish meal was initiated in America during the Great Depression. They became really popular in the 1950's when new materials for cooking appeared on the market and advertisers began touting the virtues of one-dish meals that freed women from kitchen drudgery. They remained popular through the 1970's but fell into disfavor as diner's became more sophisticated and diet conscious. I still have several casseroles in my permanent recipe rotation, but today's recipe was a test run. My family will be visiting in August and our two oldest grandsons are beginning to display symptoms of, what we call, "hollow leg syndrome" - they are always hungry. I like to have a casserole or two available to supplement regular meals while they're here. I'd seen this recipe in Gourmet magazine years ago. I clipped it because it was so much lighter than my version of this Greek classic. Pastitsio is a Greek casserole that contains layers of macaroni and chopped meat that are topped with a cream sauce. I made it this evening and must say I found it to be a nice, but not great, casserole. I expected more from this multi-step recipe than it could deliver. None of the steps are hard, but this is not a dish that you can throw together in minutes. I expect recipes this involved to be great and it missed the mark. I am, however, going to keep and recommend the recipe because it is a nice alternative to lasagna when you have a crowd to feed. Here's the recipe. You be the judge.

Pastitsio - Lamb and Eggplant Casserole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
Lamb Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (28- to 32-oz) can crushed tomatoes
Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 garlic clove
1 whole clove
1/2 lb feta, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
Pasta
10 ounces penne (3 cups)

Directions:
1) To make lamb sauce: Cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lamb and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and pepper and sauté, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in eggplant and tomatoes and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is just tender, about 40 minutes. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2) To make cheese sauce: While lamb is simmering, melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and add garlic clove and whole clove, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Add feta, salt, and pepper and cook, whisking vigorously, until cheese is well incorporated. Remove from heat. Discard garlic clove and whole clove. Beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add sauce to eggs, whisking.
3) To make pasta: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente, then drain in a colander. Toss half of pasta with lamb sauce and half with cheese sauce.
4) To assemble pastitsio: Pour pasta with lamb sauce into a wide shallow 3-quart baking dish, spreading evenly. Spoon pasta with cheese sauce on top, spreading evenly. Bake pastitsio, uncovered, in middle of oven until bubbling and top is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Lamb and Feta Patties with Red Pepper Relish

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I so wish you could have joined us at the table tonight. It was a simple burger supper, but one so packed with flavor that I know you'd have enjoyed it. With an assist from a recipe that appeared in an old issue of Gourmet magazine, I was able to fashion Greek-inspired lamb patties with a pepper relish so delicious that I guarantee one bite would have your socks going up and down. Really. These burgers are that good. While I rarely add anything other than salt and pepper to beef burgers, I have no problem using cheese and herbs and spices to take other meat patties to new levels. Fortunately, I still had ground lamb that had been sent to me by the folks at Lava Lake Ranch and this gave me the opportunity to use their ground lamb in a worthy application. While there is some chopping involved, these burgers are very easy to do and can be assembled hours before serving. The relish can actually be made several days before you plan to use it. While I served our burgers on warm pita bread, good buns would also work here. I know you'll like these. Here's the recipe.

Lamb and Feta Patties with Red Pepper Relish...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
For relish
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2 orange or red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
For patties
1 slice firm white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1 scallion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1-1/4 pound ground lamb
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 pound feta, crumbled (3/4 cup)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1) To make relish: Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in a 2-quart nonreactive heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, uncovered, 1 minute. Add remaining relish ingredients and simmer briskly, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peppers and apple are tender, about 25 minutes.
2) To make patties: Preheat broiler. Pulse bread, scallion, garlic, and mint in a food processor until finely chopped. Add to lamb in a bowl along with egg, feta, salt, and pepper. Blend with your hands until just combined (do not overwork mixture, or patties will be tough). Form into 4-1/2 inch patties (about 1/2 inch thick).
3) To cook: Broil patties on oiled rack of a broiler pan 5 inches from heat until browned but still slightly pink in center, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve patties with red pepper relish and warm pita bread or buns. Yield: 4 patties.

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Chimichurri Turkey Burgers - One Perfect Bite
Green Curry Turkey Burgers - One Perfect Bite
Salmon Burgers - One Perfect Bite