Fox Fire Farms ™

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Promoting a Healthy Environment and Healthy People.

2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
10 juniper berries
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup of kosher salt
3/4 to 1 inch thick Lamb shoulder or sirloin chops
Olive oil


Flavor step: Combine the cure ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 TBS over both sides of each chop, Place the chops on a plate and wrap loosely. Cure the chops for 12 to 16 hours in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before cooking. Wash off the salt and pat the chops dry. Brush them with the olive oil. You can grill, broil or saute' the chops, but they are best grilled until medium- rare, internal temperature about 130 to 135 degrees. (Any extra cure will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

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1 LB Lamb stew meat
Olive Oil
Garlic
Rosemary
3 Bay Leaves
carrots, onions
6-8 small new potatoes


Add enough olive oil to a large pan to barely cover the bottom. Add 3 or 4 crushes garlic cloves, 1 tsp crushed rosemary and cook together on medium heat for about two minutes. Add stew meat and continue cooking til browned. Cover with water, add bay leaves and simmer 2-3 hours. Add vegetables and continue cooking til the vegetables are tender. Peas can be added during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with fresh sheepherders or french bread.

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1 c. small white beans, such as rice beans
4 Lamb shanks, trimmed of most external fat (total weight 4-5 lbs.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 TBS olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb (about 1 lb.) diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium leeks, quartered lengthwise, washed and sliced
6 Large garlic cloves, sliced
4 Oz. pancetta,cut into 1/8 by 1/2 inch strips
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed with a mortar and pestle
4 c. lamb, beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 Large sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
2 Tbs chopped fennel tops
4 Large fresh of canned Italian-style tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced


The night before: wash and pick over beans, cover with cold water, and soak overnight. Season shanks with salt and pepper. In an 8-10 quart dutch oven or casserole with a tight lid, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over med-high heat. Put in shanks and cook for 10 minutes, turning frequently. Shanks should be well browned on all sides. Remove them to a platter. Discard fat from the pan. Add remaining 2 TBS olive oil to pan, heat until lightly smoking, stir in fennel, carrots, leeks, garlic, pancetta, and fennel seeds. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring well to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the vegetables are light brown and translucent, 10-12 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and stir them into pot with the vegetables. Add stock, thyme, fennel tops, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil stirring well. Set browned shanks on top of beans and reduce heat. Cover and simmer undisturbed for One hour and 15 minutes.

At this stage the meat should have shrunk away from the bones and be very tender. Remove lamb shanks to a large, ovenproof platter. Cover shanks with foil and keep warm in 200 degree oven. Taste beans - they should be tender but still firm. Cook longer if needed. Adjust salt, pepper and seasonings. Check liquid in the pan - if it's too brothy, raise the heat and cook it down slightly. Spoon beans and cooking liquid onto 4 large warm plates, remove shanks from the oven and place 1 shank on top of the beans on each plate. Garnish liberally with the fennel gremolata and place a small dish of gremolata on the table for guests to add to taste.

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1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c. merlot
1/2 c. dry white wine
4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
1/2 c. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tbs dried rosemary
1 Tbs coarse ground pepper
1 leg of lamb (5-6 lbs), boned, butterflied and fat trimmed
Oregano and rosemary sprigs (optional)
Salt


Prep and cook time: about 50 minutes, plus at least 6 hours for marinating the lamb. Merlot, a recently popular red varietal wine, brings an all time favorite meat into the 90's. Makes 8-10 servings

In a 9 by 19 inch baking dish, combine the soy sauce, merlot, white wine, garlic, chopped oregano, chopped rosemary, and pepper. Add Lamb and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and chill at least 6 hours or up to one day, turning meat over several times.

Lift lamb from the marinade (reserve marinade) and place on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4-5 seconds). Close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning as needed to brown meat evenly, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of leg reaches 135-140 degrees for rare (thinner portions will be well done), 30-45 minutes. Brush meat occasionally with the marinade up until the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer meat to a platter, keep warm and let rest 5-15 minutes. Garnish with oregano and rosemary sprigs. To serve, thinly slice meat. Add salt to taste.

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1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 onion minced finely
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 black ground freshly tsp 2 pepper
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 Tbs cornstarch

8 Pita breads, warmed
lime
pickled red onions
cilantro chutney


These Indian-inspired kabobs can be shaped into oval patties or long cylinders around flat or square metal skewers and grilled. Make sure to use very lean ground lamb. You can also use lean ground beef or a combination of the two.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead and squeeze the mixture until everything is well blended. Either shape the meat into 8 oval patties or mold it around 4 flat or square metal skewers into long cigar shapes.

Cook the patties or kabobs over hot coals or on a gas barbecue or in a broiler turning frequently until the inside is just faintly pink, a total of 8-10 minutes. Serve in warm pita bread wtih onions and chutney.

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Two 1 - 1 1/2 lb frenched lamb rib roasts (6-8 ribs each), backbone removed and fat trimmed
1 Tbs cooking oil
1/3 c. dijon-style mustard
2 Tbs finely snipped fresh rosemary
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
5 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 c. port wine
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. beef stock or broth
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 c. firmly packed parsley sprigs
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbs sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


In a large skillet heat cooking oil over medium high heat. Brown meat on all sides. In a small bowl combine dijon style mustard and rosemary. Rub mustard mixture onto meat. Place meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer; the bulb should not touch the bone. Roast uncovered in a 450 degree oven until thermometer registers 140 degrees for medium rare (20-25 minutes). Cover with foil; let meat stand for 15 minutes before serving. (temperture will rise about 5 degrees while standing.) Meanwhile, for the wine sauce, in a 3 quart saucepan combine mushrooms shallots, port and red wine, beef stock, thyme, parsley, garlic, vinegar, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is slightly syrupy. Strain the mixture, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Stir in the salt and pepper. Serve wine sauce with the lamb. Makes 4-6 servings.

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