|LAMB|
LAMB
DEVORAH BACKMAN
E
VERY YEAR AT THE SEDER we commemorate the three iconic foods of Pesach – the
matzah, the bitter herbs, and the Karban
Pesach—the lamb sacriﬁce that today, of course, is
only remembered symbolically. But this year can be
diﬀerent from all other years, when you serve succulent
lamb at your Pesach holiday table.
This year, Grow and Behold is proud to oﬀer ethically
raised kosher lamb for the Pesach table. The lambs
used to produce this unusually tender, sweet meat are
raised in the Smokey Mountains of the Shenandoah
Valley in West Virginia, where they graze freely until
they are collected for kosher slaughter. Then, Grow and
Behold oﬀers this delicious meat in a variety of cuts.
We spoke to Naftali Hanau from Grow and Behold to
learn more about what lamb options are available to
the kosher consumer.
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|LAMB|
LAMB ROAST: A lamb shoulder roast is a boneless cut
similar to a beef roast, which lends itself well to a classic spice,
rub marinade, and low, slow roast followed by a quick sear at the
end of the cooking process for a beautiful dark crust and perfectly
juicy meat. “Non-kosher lamb roast comes from the hind leg,” Hanau
explains, “but the kosher substitute comes from the shoulder. It’s not
as neat as the traditional version, so it has to be netted, but it is absolutely delicious.” He serves his roasted lamb with a savory pan sauce
made with the vegetables that roasted under the lamb and collected
its ﬂavorful drippings, mixed with wine, broth, and rosemary.
LAMB SHANKS: Naturally, shank meat has lots of
connective tissue, which can be tough, but when cooked correctly,
the gelatin in the collagen breaks down, adding a rich, smooth
quality to the meat and its sauce. “Of course, lamb shanks are the
most traditional cut for Passover!” says Hanau, demonstrating a
simple braised shank ﬂavored with thyme and garlic. Visit www.
joyofkosher.com/magazine for Naftali's lamb shank recipe.
LAMB RIBLETS: Loaded with rich, delicious natural fat,
riblets are the most economical cut of lamb. “It’s very fatty,” explains Hanau, “so to get good results you need to cook it correctly.”
The unctuous quality of the fatty meat is set off in many non-kosher
cuisines by a light, spicy yogurt sauce, but Hanau ﬁnds that a tahini
sauce and a crunchy cucumber salsa achieve the same refreshing
effect. “A pinch of cayenne and sumac is my secret!” he says.
LAMB CHOPS: The classic cut most of us have tasted before, Hanau says lamb chops are “so good they don’t need much!”
He suggests a simple lemon pepper spice rub or a spicy coffee chili
rub if you want to dress up your chops for a holiday meal, but salt
and pepper is really all you need. There are three types of lamb
chops, each cut from a different location along the animal—the
cooking method is the same for all three, but the texture of the
ﬁnal result will differ slightly. There is the rainbow chop from the
center of the lower shoulder, the lamb shoulder chop (a.ka. ‘second
cut lamb chops’), are cut from the upper shoulder, and ﬁnally, the
coveted lamb chop, which is most tender. This chop is cut from the
rib, and is the analogue to a bone-in beef rib steak.
We sell three different kinds of lamb chops: rainbow chops,
shoulder chops, and lamb chops, all cut to ~1” thick.
GROUND LAMB: A welcome change from the familiar
ground beef, you can use half ground lamb, half beef to add deeper
ﬂavor to meatballs and kebabs without the ﬁnal taste being too
gamey. Hanau is especially fond of traditional lamb kebabs—his
mother serves them at the Seder for his wife Anna, who grew up
Reform and did eat lamb roast at the Seder. “You can prepare the
kebabs in advance, freeze them, and then sear them just before the
meal,” he recommends. “Use a neutral oil that can handle high heat,
like grapeseed oil. Don’t crowd the pan! You want the meat to sear
nicely, not steam. Be sure to give it time to cook properly—don’t
touch the meat until it releases easily from the pan on its own.”
While some experts caution that ground meat be cooked until well
done when you don’t know how the raw meat was handled, using
a high-quality meat source like Grow and Behold means you can
enjoy your ground meat dishes at medium doneness as well.
ROASTED LAMB & THE SEDER: Orthodox Jews
traditionally do not eat roast lamb at the Seder, since we don’t want
to imitate the sacriﬁcial lamb of our ancestors. But the other meals
of Pesach are the perfect time to savor the one-of-a-kind ﬂavor of
free-range, grass-fed lamb, just like our forefathers would have once
eaten. Next year in Jerusalem!
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|LAMB|
Lamb
Roast
with
Rosemary
and Sage
RECIPE BY NAF HANAU
5-6 lb. lamb roast (for a smaller roast,
reduce other ingredients accordingly)
2 celery stalks, cut into ¼” pieces
2 carrots, cut into ¼” pieces
2 onions, cut into ¼” pieces
1 cinnamon stick
4 branches fresh rosemary
6 pinches dried sage
2 cups dry white wine
⅔ cup red wine vinegar
Splash of olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1. Mix all ingredients except stock to create
marinade. Marinate the roast in the fridge
in a plastic bag or Tupperware container for
12-24 hours. Turn the roast 2-3 times during
this period.
2. Preheat oven to 200°F (for convection
roast), or 225°F (for regular roasting).
Pour marinade into a Dutch oven, add
chicken broth, and combine. Add roast to
Dutch oven, and place in oven, uncovered.
3. Cook until internal temperature reaches
137°F (rare), or 142°F (medium-rare; pictured). Remove roast from Dutch oven and
set on a plate to drain. Move Dutch oven
to stovetop, and reduce braising liquid by
at least one half (a bit more is ﬁne), taking
care not to burn. Pour reduction through
cheesecloth into a gravy separator. Solids
can be mashed and spread on matzah. Save
strained jus (juice) to serve, warmed, with
the roast. Pat roast dry if necessary, and
sear all sides in a hot cast-iron or stainlesssteel pan. Remove netting before slicing.
Expert
Tip:
“Water doesn’t sauté or roast. Dry
proteins thoroughly of moisture
and all marinades before cooking,
in order to achieve proper browning
and ﬂavor development.”
–Chef Michael Gershkovich,
Mike’s Bistro
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What’s Not To
Like?
Manischewitz shares great new products for Passover.
Try amazing Carrot Cake Macaroons, Gluten Free Matzo Ball Mix, Kosher for
Passover Chicken Broth and many new gluten free products, just to name a few.
With so many choices, you’ll have a #PicturePerfectPassover.
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|LAMB|
CoffeeChili
Lamb
Chops
RECIPE BY NAF HANAU
4 shoulder/rainbow chops,
or 8 lamb chops
2 teaspoons freshly ground
ancho chili pepper
(with seeds)
2 teaspoons freshly ground
chipotle chili pepper
(with seeds)
½ teaspoon freshly
ground coffee
½ teaspoon raw sugar
½ teaspoon toasted garlic
(granulated)
Three different lamb chops from left to right: rainbow chop, shoulder lamb chop, lamb chops
Pat chops with a paper towel to
remove excess moisture (chops
should not feel wet). Mix spices
together. Sprinkle evenly on
chops. Cook to medium-rare.
f
A note about using whole dried
chili peppers: Buy dried chilies
and store in an airtight jar. Chop
coarsely and grind in a spice mill
or coffee grinder. Excess ground
chilies can be stored for a week.
Lemon
Pepper
Lamb
Chops
Lemon pepper and coffee chili rubs.
RECIPE BY NAF HANAU
4 shoulder/rainbow chops,
or 8 lamb chops
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon paprika
Pat chops with a paper towel to
remove excess moisture (chops
should not feel wet). Mix spices
together. Sprinkle evenly on
chops. Cook to medium-rare.
Serve with Fresh Mango Chutney.
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Pan-seared chops resting and ready to be enjoyed.
COOKING
b
LAMB CHOPS
The easiest way to cook any kind of lamb chop is on the grill over a high
heat to your desired doneness (we prefer medium-rare; see below).
Grilling chops is easy, not too messy, and it can get you a nice crust if
you know your grill.
However, there is a better way… We started cooking chops (and steaks)
indoors when it was just too cold and nasty outside to light up the grill,
and now, this is our preferred method for lamb chops.
(For larger chops, preheat oven to 400 degrees.)
1.Heat a generous amount of grapeseed oil in a heavy cast-iron or
stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat, large enough to hold the
chops comfortably.
2.When the oil is shimmering, carefully arrange the chops in the pan.
Monitor the ﬂame to prevent burning, but don’t touch the chops for at
least four minutes! After 4 minutes, gently use your tongs to try to lift a
chop. If it doesn’t lift easily, it’s not ready to ﬂip.
3.Once the chops lift cleanly and easily from the pan, they will have
developed a beautiful and uniform crust, and should be ﬂipped.
This takes 4-7 minutes, depending on the pan and the stove.
4.To ﬁnish on the stove (for lamb chops, and larger rainbow
or shoulder chops cooked to rare): Flip to second side. Cook another
4-7 minutes until the crust has developed and the chops
pull easily without sticking.
5.To ﬁnish in the oven (for medium-rare, medium or medium-well
done large chops): Flip to second side, and keep pan on heat for
about 1 minute. After 1 minute, move pan into pre-heated oven to ﬁnish
cooking. Large chops should get to medium-rare in about
5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove pan from oven (use oven mitts!)
and transfer to stove.
6.Check for doneness (see below). Remove from pan to plate
or cutting board to rest, tented lightly with foil, for 3-4 minutes
before serving.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT’S DONE?
For most large pieces of meat, a meat thermometer is your best friend.
However, with steaks and chops, we don’t recommend poking; since
it’s hard to ﬁnd the right place to test, you risk losing ﬂavorful juices,
and it’s not necessary. You have the perfect gauge on your own hand!
Here’s how to FEEL when your steak or chop is done to your liking:
Gently touch your index ﬁnger to your thumb, and with your other
hand, press the meaty part of your palm at the base of your thumb.
That is what rare feels like. Now touch your middle ﬁnger to your
thumb. That’s medium-rare. Your ring ﬁnger is medium, and your pinky
is well done. You can quickly (and carefully) press your chops to gauge
for your desired doneness. If you are worried about getting burned, dip
your ﬁnger in cold water ﬁrst.
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|LAMB|
Cumin Lamb
Kebobs
RECIPE BY: NAFTALI HANAU AND RACHEL ROSEN
Serves: 8 (makes 16 cigars)
2
1
2
1
½
lbs. ground lamb
large egg
garlic gloves, minced
tablespoon ground cumin
teaspoon black pepper (medium ground,
not coarse ground)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
¼ cup matzah meal (optional, to bind.
You can also substitute potato starch.)
1. Mix ingredients together and shape into cigars.
Grill, broil, or pan-fry.
2. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept tightly
wrapped in the fridge, or frozen for up to two months.
Bring to room temperature before frying.
3. Serve with rice and techina (kitniyot), or with
quinoa and Cucumber-Mint Salsa
Lamb
Kebobs
with
Fresh
Mint and
Cilantro:
RECIPE BY: NAFTALI HANAU AND
RACHEL ROSEN
Serves: 8 (makes 16 cigars)
2
1
2
¼
¼
lbs. ground lamb
large egg
garlic cloves, minced
cup mint, chopped
cup cilantro, chopped (substitute
parsley for cilantro haters, if you must)
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon paprika
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
½ cup matzah meal (optional, to bind.
You can also substitute potato starch.)
1. Mix all ingredients together except for
juice from ½ of the lemon. Shape into
cigars. Grill, broil, or pan-fry. Squeeze
reserved half lemon over cigars.
2. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept
tightly wrapped in the fridge, or frozen for
up to two months.
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|LAMB|
SAUCES
Cucumber-Mint Salsa
RECIPE BY CHEF MOSES WENDEL,
PARDES RESTAURANT
1 English cucumber
¾ jalapeno pepper, seeded
2 packed cups mint (well cleaned!)
½ packed cup dill (well cleaned!)
Salt to taste
Puree all ingredients in food processor until just
combined. If not serving immediately, store in
clean glass jar with thin layer of olive oil on top.
Best served within 2 days.
Easy Mango Chutney
1 fresh mango
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sumac
Pinch salt
Slow RoastedLamb Riblets
RECIPE BY NAFTALI HANAU
Riblets are often overlooked, since they are relatively fatty. While many chefs
have been turning this cut into lamb bacon for a while, we are starting to see
the riblets grow in popularity among home chefs as well. When slow-cooked
or smoked, they become incredibly tender, and the ﬂavor of the fat is as rich
as marrow.
8
2
2
2
1½
2
2
1
lbs. lamb riblets
tablespoons turmeric
tablespoons cumin
tablespoons curry
teaspoons baharat
teaspoons toasted garlic
tablespoons chili powder
tablespoon black pepper
1. Combine ingredients for spice rub and mix well. Pat riblets dry, and coat
generously with spice rub. Allow to sit in fridge overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200°F.
3. Arrange riblets in a single layer in a large roasting pan, bone-side down.
Add ½ cup of water to pan, and cover tightly with lid or aluminum foil, and
place in oven.
4. After 1 hour, remove foil/lid, and return to oven. Roast another 4-5 hours.
Remove pan from oven, and increase temperature to 450°F. Baste riblets
with the fat that has rendered out, and return to hot oven to brown for 10-20
minutes, until a crust has formed.
Dice mango into ⅛ to ¼” pieces. Add other
ingredients. Serve immediately.
Simple Techinah
16 ozs. tahini
4 cloves garlic
Juice from 1½ lemons
Water (amount varies)
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
1. Chop garlic in food processor until ﬁne. Add
tahini and lemon juice, and blend until combined.
Add water slowly until desired consistency is
reached (about 1-2 cups). Add salt and cayenne
to taste.
2. We keep our techinah relatively thick and store it
in the fridge. For sauces and dressings, we’ll just thin
a few spoonfuls with water, and add fresh herbs.
Techinah Sauce
with Cilantro
and Mint
(FOR KEBABS AND RIBLETS)
½ cup Simple Techinah
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped mint
Thin techinah with water to desired consistency,
mix well, and add herbs.
5. Serve hot with techinah (kitniyot), arugula, and sauerkraut.
6. Can be prepared up to 4 days in advance. Cool completely, uncovered,
then store in fridge wrapped in foil. Reheat, uncovered, at 170-200°F.
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