Cumin And Honey Scented Loin Lamb Chops With Eggplant Recipes

MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
• Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
• Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.

LAMB LOIN CHOPS WITH WARM POLENTA AND ARUGULA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine herbs with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Rub onto chops. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
• For the Polenta Salad: Bring the stock to a boil. Stir in polenta and lower heat. Continue to stir until bubbling. Add garlic, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well. Pour into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• For the sauce: Warm olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and add the garlic slivers. Combine with the lamb stock, soy sauce and a few drops of lemon juice. Keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees To assemble the plate, invert the polenta onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares. Grill or pan-roast the lamb chops to desired temperature, about 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Warm the polenta "croutons" in the oven in a nonstick, ovenproof saute pan. When hot, toss the croutons with the arugula, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.
• Arrange 2 lamb chops on each plate with some salad and spoon warm sauce over the meat.

LAMB CHOPS WITH EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook until the eggplant begins to soften, about 3 more minutes. Add the rosemary, tomato and vinegar and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the capers and pine nuts; set aside to cool slightly.
• Place a large skillet over high heat. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place the lamb chops in the pan, fat-side down, and cook until the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chops onto their sides and cook until crisp and brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
• Divide the eggplant caponata and lamb chops among plates and garnish with arugula.

LAMB CHOPS WITH CUMIN, CARDAMOM, AND LIME

Steps:

• Whisk together garlic, cumin, cardamom, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons oil and transfer to a sealable plastic bag just large enough to hold lamb. Add lamb and seal bag, forcing out excess air, then massage lamb until evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature, turning bag occasionally, 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook half of lamb about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Transfer cooked lamb to a platter. Wipe out skillet, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and cook remaining lamb in same manner. Transfer to platter and let stand 5 minutes.

MOROCCAN LAMB CHOPS WITH CUMIN/PAPRIKA SALT

Steps:

• Heat up the grill.
• In a small bowl, combine the cumin, salt, paprika and cayenne. Brush the chops on one side with some of the melted butter and sprinkle the buttered side with some of the spiced salt.
• Grill the spiced sized down until charred, about 4 minutes. Brush the chops with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining spice salt.
• Flip the chops and grill for 4 to 5 more minutes longer(medium) depending on preferred doneness.

CUMIN-SCENTED LAMB LOIN

Steps:

• To prepare the brine, in a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for the tenderloin, oil, tortillas, and garnish. Transfer the brine to a pan large and deep enough to hold the liquid and the meat. Trim the thin outer silver skin from the loin and place it in the brine, cover, and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Using your hands, remove the lamb from the marinade, brush off any whole spices from the meat, and pat dry with paper towels.
• To cook the lamb, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, turning every 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, cooking to medium-rare (135°F), about 5 minutes total. For lamb loin, sear over medium-high heat 2 minutes per each of the four sides, cooking to medium-rare (135°F), 8 to 12 minutes total. Remove the lamb from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes. Slice the meat into thin medallions and serve immediately.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with pineapple and salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with pineapple and salsa, fold, and eat right away.

CUMIN, HONEY, AND MINT-MARINATED LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Place lamb in a single layer in a shallow dish; rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of lamb. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Prepare grill.
• Place lamb on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 4 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. Serve immediately.