by Johnny Vee on
SPANISH COLONISTS BROUGHT DOMESTICATED sheep to New Mexico, and soon lamb found its way into Indigenous and Hispanic cuisines. Chefs throughout the world appreciate lamb for its pronounced flavor, which can stand up to strong seasoning in curries, tagines, and stews, whether braised, grilled, or roasted. That said, home cooks often steer away from lamb because of its cost and their inexperience cooking it. Heaven forbid you ruin that $35 rack you found at Costco.
In Luscious Lamb Cookery, a class I regularly teach at Las Cosas Cooking School, I help students learn how to handle this tasty meat, including the less expensive cuts, which are delicious when prepared creatively. In the class, I smear shoulder chops with yogurt, garlic, and lemon and then crust them with za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend. Cost-effective shanks make a luscious osso buco. To keep the pricier rack moist, I spread it with Dijon mustard and then pack on a mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, capers, and lemon zest before roasting.
Grocery stores offer a wider variety of cuts than our mothers had to choose from, and local growers like Shepherd’s Lamb add specialty items like bones, sweetbreads, and organ meats to the more traditional chops, legs, and shanks.
The Easter, Passover, and Ramadan holidays often set a lamb dish on the family table, making this an appropriate month to perfect a new technique. Don’t be afraid if you, like me, grew up on lamb shoulder chops that spent a fair amount of time in the oven, only to be coated with neon-green mint jelly straight from the jar.
The medium-rare rack with rosemary and garlic I encountered upon moving to New York City was a revelation, but then I discovered the wonderful world of global lamb cookery. In funky East Village African eateries, it was highly seasoned with exotic spices and served with couscous in a domed tagine. At Indian restaurants, fiery vindaloos set my palate ablaze. In Mediterranean restaurants, I fell in love with kebabs of vegetables and marinated lamb. A moussaka, I discovered, was the best of two worlds: meat and mashed potatoes in one dish, gilded with creamy béchamel.
A semester spent at chef’s school in Leeds, England, introduced me to mutton—sheep that are at least one year old and up to three. The meat can be a tad tough, and it wasn’t my favorite. Later I lived in Australia, where lamb “on the barbie” was offered with a sauce of fresh mint, sugar, and vinegar.
A Santa Fe friend who needed to boost her strength after a brief hospital stay this winter was lucky enough to receive a container of bone broth made by our mutual friend Mu Jing Lau, of the former Mu Du Noodles fame. After downing a bowl, she called to exclaim that she was cured and full of energy. I had to call Mu to get the recipe: an all-day simmer of Shepherd’s Lamb bones—the more the merrier—carrots, celery, onions, mushroom stems, tomatoes, a head of peeled and smashed garlic, and a large knob of peeled and smashed ginger. “It also humidifies your house and keeps it warm,” Mu says, “and the smell is downright addictive.”
I also snagged recipes from two standout New Mexico chefs—Paddy Rawal of Raaga-Go, in Santa Fe, and Jonathan Perno of Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, and I offer some tips of my own for making the best of your lamb selection. Are you game?