“So, how do I cook it? What can I make with it?” These are the two most common questions we get from friends who have never had lamb before.
This page is our contribution to that great question. We expect to update it often, and only plan to include recipes we have tried and enjoyed. We love the versatility of ground lamb, and you can see below that we tend to favor ground recipes.
For safe handling instructions, you can see the USDA’s publication, Lamb from Farm to Table. We’ve both found lamb to be less forgiving of overcooking than beef. We strongly recommend using a meat thermometer for your first few “projects.” We also both prefer our lamb cooked “medium,” but your own taste should be your guide here.
Chuck’s Chili
This is a regular favorite of ours. We love it during the winter, but really tend to make it year round. We’ve probably never made it the same way twice, and there’s really no “right” way to make it. We’d encourage you to try it once, and then start to rearrange it and make it your own!
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2T garlic, minced
- Oil (we use good butter or lard from our friends down the street)
- 2lb ground lamb, OR 1lb each ground lamb and sausage
- 1-1/2c water or stock
- 1c tomato puree
- 1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
- 2-1/2T chili powder
- 1T cumin
- 1T oregano
- 1T salt
- 1/4t cayenne pepper (optional) or 1T black pepper (optional)
- 1 large can kidney beans (optional)
Brown the meat and onion in the oil, and add the garlic. Once browned, add the water, puree, spices, and beans. Bring it all to a simmer, and immediately reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 2-3 hours.
We frequently change out the meats, and have often used flavored sausages to change the flavor around. We haven’t had a bad combination yet. We’ve used just about every kind of stock in place of the water – ordinarily we select whatever stock we have on hand, and use water as a last resort. Chuck prefers up to 1/2t of cayenne, but since he’s also very slightly allergic to it, we usually swap in the black pepper to give it a bit of kick instead. It’s also good mild, and has a very pleasant mild flavor without the cayenne or pepper.
We often prepare a batch when we know we have a busy few days coming, since it’s even tastier the second day!
Merguez Meatballs
We won’t repeat this recipe here, because Melissa Joulwan has already done such an excellent job when she created it. We love this recipe and prepare it often!
Lamb Kofta
- 1lb ground lamb
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1t cumin
- 1t coriander
- 1/2t cinnamon
- Salt & Black pepper
This one’s simple. Mix all of the above thoroughly, form meatballs of your preferred size, and bake to your preferred temperature! We often substitute 1T of minced garlic for the fresh cloves – this is stronger than 3 fresh cloves, but we love the flavor.
Asian Meatballs with Chinese Five Spice
- 1lb ground lamb
- 1lb ground beef or pork
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3T ginger
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 4T fish sauce
- 4T Tamari sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- Chinese Five Spice powder to suit
This recipe uses beef or pork to add a bit of fat to the lean lamb. You should plan to vary the Five Spice a bit to find your own taste – 1-2T is a good place to start. Mix the above, form meatballs, and bake!