Twice Cooked Five Spice Lamb With Red Chiles Recipes

STIR-FRIED LAMB WITH CHILE, CUMIN AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Cut lamb into 1/2-inch cubes (easier if meat is firmed in the freezer for 15 to 45 minutes). Toast cumin seeds in dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, a minute or 2. Toss together lamb with cumin, chili, garlic, soy sauce, a large pinch of salt and a healthy grinding of pepper. If you like, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, put a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (ideally, it will hold the lamb in one layer, or nearly so) and turn heat to high. When hot, add lamb. Cook, undisturbed, for about a minute, then stir once or twice to loosen lamb from skillet. Cook another minute, then stir again. Add scallions, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions glisten and shrink a bit and the meat is about medium.
• If you want a slightly saucier mixture, stir in 1/4 cup water and cook another minute. Serve hot over rice, garnished, if you like, with cilantro.

CRISPY LAMB WITH CUMIN, SCALLIONS AND RED CHILES

Steps:

• In a bowl combine egg white, wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add lamb and set aside to marinate 1 hour.
• Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Swirl half the oil into wok and carefully add lamb, spreading it in a single layer. Let sear a moment, then stir-fry briskly just until lamb is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. (If your wok is not large enough to hold all the lamb, do this in 2 batches, using extra oil.)
• Swirl remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil into empty wok, add cumin seeds and chiles and stir-fry a few seconds until cumin seeds start to pop. Press chiles against sides of wok to char their skins.
• Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute. Then return lamb to wok and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more until lamb is cooked through. Turn off heat, sprinkle with salt and drops of sesame oil, and serve immediately.

TWICE-COOKED LAMB

Steps:

• Place ribs in a large skillet with a pinch of salt and the cayenne, fennel, ginger, turmeric, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, milk and about 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture simmers. Cook, turning or stirring meat occasionally until just about tender, adding more water if mixture dries out, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• When meat is tender, remove it. If any liquid remains in pan, cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits stuck to bottom, until mixture is just about dry. Remove cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
• Add butter or oil and the garlic to pan over medium heat and when it's hot, brown meat in it. Remove meat to a warm platter. Add about 1/2 cup water to pan. Once again cook liquid over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that have stuck to bottom, until liquid is reduced by about half. Pour over meat, garnish with cilantro and serve.