North African Lamb Kebabs

Always looking for good lamb dishes for Easter.  Recently we went down to visit family in Charlottesville Virginia for Easter and ate at a North African restaurant.  They had the most fantastic lamb, served in many different dishes.  And their hummus was out of this world.

Here, I reverse-engineer their North African lamb kebabs, and hope I have found at least an essence of their wonder.  These are fantastic, and if you love lamb - try them!
1-1/2 to 2 lbs boneless lamb, cut into 12 ~2-inch cubes
1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 16 ~1/8-inch slices
12 3-inch pieces favorite thick-cut bacon (I used applewood smoked)

Marinade:
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp Sumac Middle Eastern Spice (see note) spice
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tamarind extract paste
2 Tbsp canola oil

Slather sauce:
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp canola oil

crushed red pepper flakes for garnish

Toss the lamb and the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix together well with tongs or your fingers.

Let marinate for at least 2 hours, or ideally, overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

If marinating overnight, return lamb cubes to room temperature when ready to cook. If using wood, soak six 8-inch wooden skewers in water. Heat grill to high. Whisk together the slather sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Half-wrap each skewer with a strip of bacon. Alternate the wraps, left and right. Skewer 3 cubes of lamb on a skewer, capped and separated by a slice of carrot (or other veggie if using).

Grill over medium-high heat, turning often. Cook until lamb reaches 130F for medium-rare (or to your taste), when measured by an instant read thermometer. Remove lamb kebobs from grill and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes on a plate, covered with aluminum foil.

Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and serve kebabs over couscous or other favorite grain.

Serves 4.

Cook’s Note: You could use many other veggies for the separator between the cubes, like onion, or peppers. Or you could omit this and be just fine.

Sumac (don’t worry - not poison sumac) is a species in the Rhus genus of flowering plants. Their red fruit lead to a dark maroon powdered spice often used in Middle Eastern cooking. Sour and aromatic - much like lime or lemon tend to be, it adds a sharp flavor note, and red tone to dishes. It is certainly not a MUST in this dish, especially as pomegranate is used. But it is a great flavor enhancer.

Japanese Style Pork Ribs

You talk about umami whenever you talk Asian pork ribs.
1-1/4 lb boneless pork country ribs

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp canola oil
palmful kizami nori roasted seaweed, crushed

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a medium flat casserole.

Lay the pork ribs in the marinade and turn several times. Marinate for about 1-2 hours, if possible, or overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, heat a grill to high and return the meat to room temperature. Grill the pork, cooking both sides, until the internal temperature reaches 145F for medium, or to your taste. Allow pork to rest for about 5 minutes on a plate, tented with aluminum foil.

Slice pork steeply on a bias and serve over fried rice.

Serves 4.

Grilled Peanut Gochujang Beef Ribs

Love gochujang Korean chili bean paste.  Love Korean BBQ.  Love peanut butter.  Love beef short ribs.  What's not to love about this dish?!
1-1/4 lb boneless beef short ribs
1/3 lb fresh buckwheat udon noodles
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp gochujang Korean chili bean paste
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat a grill to high. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.

Heat through until just bubbling, and then turn down to the lowest simmer.

Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.

Grill the ribs until they reach an internal temperature of 130F for medium rare. Turn several times while grilling. Remove from grill and keep warm under aluminum foil. Let rest 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, as the ribs cook, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot. Salt generously. Add the noodles and cook for about 3-5 minutes, only just until they are al dente. Drain and toss with sesame oil.

Slice ribs thickly. Divide noodles among four plates. Serve ribs over noodles, dressed with the peanut gochujang sauce, next to your favorite veggies.

Serves 4.

Cook’s Note: I served these gorgeous boneless ribs (you could use on-the-bone just as well) with a stir fry of broccoli, cabbage, red radish and onion.

Stir fry with a dash of soy sauce and fish sauce while the water boils and the ribs grill.

Grilled Mint Hoisin Chicken

Mint and Asian flavors mix very well.  They make a great marinade for chicken.
Marinade
palmful fresh mint leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Srirach or other chili sauce
1/4 cup olive oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, or thighs, pounded thin (1/4-inch)

Place mint and garlic in a small food processor and pulse to mince finely. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to blend.

Pour marinade into a ziplock bag or a bowl and add the chicken. Toss well to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour or overnight int he refrigerator.

Heat grill to high. Grill chicken about 3-5 minutes per side.

Flip once or twice and grill until cooked through.

Remove from grill to a serving platter. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Holiday Grilled Wild Caught Salmon Salad with Pecans

How to make a healthy salmon meal look all Christmasy.
about 6 cups baby greens of choice
1-1/2 lb wild caught salmon fillet

Marinade:
palmful mint
palmfull lemon balm
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp dried red chili flakes, or to taste

Dressing:
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil

2 jeruselum cucumbers, cut into half moons
1 large fresh ripe tomato, sliced
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/2 cup salted pecans

Place salmon and lemon mint marinade in a zip lock bag or in a casserole for about half an hour.

Whisk together the dressing. Pour half in a bowl and toss with the tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins. Stir and allow to macerate.

Heat a grill to high. Remove salmon from marinade and lay on grill, skin-side down. Spoon remaining marinade onto top of fish. Turn grill to medium, cover and cook salmon for about 10 minutes, checking for flare-ups. Remove salmon to a cutting board.

Toss greens with some dressing to taste. Distribute greens onto four plates. Top with tomato mixture. Cut salmon into four portions and place each portion onto salad. Sprinkle with pecans.

Serves 4.

Thrice-cooked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

You can cook ribs over a low slow grill for hours and hours, or more quickly you can cook them consecutively in the microwave, oven and then finish on the grill.

The first method is classic and arguably the best.  The second is fast and arguably still delicious.  This faster method cooks them through and through, and maintains moisture, so they are fork tender.  It also allows for good marination for that deep flavor you cherish with ribs. If you only have about an hour - not six, to cook ribs, try this.
2 racks of pork spare ribs
2 cups favorite BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350F. Place ribs in a microwaveable dish, meat side down. It's OK if you have to cut the racks in half to fit a casserole that fits your microwave. And it's OK if some of the ribs overlap. Microwave for 10 minutes. Flip racks and microwave another 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven.

Pour about half the sauce evenly on the ribs, spreading well with a brush. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat grill to medium. Now finish the ribs on the grill, placing meat-side down for about 7-8 minutes, Flip ribs, baste with sauce and finish them over very low heat for another 7-8 minutes.

These puppies will melt in your mouth!

 Serves 2.

Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Harissa Cream

Everyone seems so friendly in southern California.  You walk into the grocery store and get multiple warm smiles and hellos, even from nasty chihuahuas is ladies' purses .  What a lot of sun won't do.

I discovered Gelson's Grocery in Pacific Beach and smiled my way to their meat section.  They were well stocked with ground lamb which was score number two for them (the hellos were number one).  They also ground and mixed their own bulk sausage that looked so good I couldn't resist - score number three.

Now the real test to the store manager: "I'm looking for a rather exotic spice paste from Morocco called Harissa.  I haven't been able to find it anywhere and I realize it is not mainstream.  The last store had no idea what I was asking about, so I won't be surprised if you don't carry it."

His response, "Red or green?"  Score four, I smiled. Game over.
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb best sweet bulk Italian sausage, uncased
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp fresh mint
1 green onion
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Harissa Cream:
palmful fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
1 green onion
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1-2 Tbsp Harissa (Moroccan chili paste) or other favorite hot sauce/paste

Fresh baby spinach leaves
4-6 favorite buns
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat grill to high. Mince the garlic, mint, onion and parsley in a small food processor. Transfer to a bowl with the ground meats.

Add the cumin, red chili flakes, smoked paprika and salt. Mix together gently with clean hands only just to mix. Do not mangle the meats together as this can lead to tight dense, dry patties.

Mince the parsley, garlic and onion in a small food processor. Tip into a small bowl.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk together well.

Salt to taste if necessary.

Grill the burgers on both sides to taste, about 10 minutes total for medium rare (more or less, depending on your grill). Grill buns if desired.

Dress buns with a dash Harissa cream and lay a light bed of spinach leaves on each. Top with a burger. If desired, dollop more Harissa cream on each burger.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's Note:  Harissa is an aromatic chili paste from Morocco made from roasted red chills and a variety of spices and herbs.  Hot as anything, usually, and very flavorful, it should be used cautiously. If you don't have a Gelson's-like grocer around, use your favorite hot chili paste like Sriracha, or Asian chili paste with garlic. There are lots of great alternatives.

Mint Chili Jam Pork Tenderloin Caesar

Herbs infuse the pork with rich flavor, laying on a savory bed of slightly charred romaine, and garnished with Caesar dressing.

The classic Caesar dressing uses raw egg yoke, but I use a mix of yogurt and good real mayonnaise to avoid the raw egg.
1 1-lb pork tenderloin
2 heads organic romaine lettuce, sliced in half lengthwise

Marinade:
1/4 cup mint sauce (I used Waitrose Mint Sauce)
2 Tbsp hot and sweet Chili Jam (I used Trader Joe’s)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Caesar Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 anchovies
palmful fresh parsley leaves
palmful fresh dill
1 green onion, quartered
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup good real mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Pour into a zip lock plastic bag (or use a small shallow casserole). Add the pork to the marinade and toss well to coat.

Marinate at least 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, allow pork tenderloin to come back to room temperature.

Prepare the dressing by placing the garlic, anchovies, parsley, dill and green onion in a small food processor.

Process just to form a fine mince. 

Add the remaining dressing ingredients and pulse to mix well. Taste the dressing and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium. Season the romaine halves with salt and pepper and sprinkle with olive oil.

Remove the pork from the marinade and place on one side of grill.

Place lettuce cut-side down, on other side of grill.

Keep an eye on both and turn as needed to assure even browning. Remove the lettuce after about 5 minutes, or when a slight char has been achieved, but the lettuce still maintains a crunchy integrity.

Cook the pork until it has achieved an internal temperature of 140-150F for medium. Remove pork from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes, covered lightly with aluminum foil. Slice pork on a bias. Lay several romaine leaves on each plate. Top with several slices of pork and garnish with Caesar dressing.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I love using savory jams to cook with meat, especially pork and lamb.  These are two of my favorites.  Waitrose is a higher-end grocer in the U.K. and if you are ever there, pick up some of there mint sauce.

If you don't have mint sauce, use a palmful of fresh mint leaves in the marinade and you'll be fine.

Lemon Mint NY Strip and Shrimp Kebabs

Get your kebabs out and pull these wonderful flavorous together!
3 large NY strip steaks, about 1-1/2 lb, cut into 16 cubes
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 red and 1 orange (or yellow) pepper, cut into eights

Marinade:
palmful fresh mint
palmful lemon balm leaves
3 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Place mint, lemon balm and garlic in a small food processor and mince well.

Tip into a medium bowl and add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Turn in the beef cubes into the bowl and mix well.

Allow to marinate at least and hour.

Soak 8 8-inch skewers in water for 10 minutes. When ready to cook, heat grill to high. Thread the beef, shrimp and peppers onto skewers in this order each:

Red pepper, beef, shrimp, orange pepper, shrimp, beef, red pepper.

Grill on high heat about 2 minutes per side, turning 3 times to grill all four sides.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  Around Christmas time, substitute a green pepper for the orange pepper!

Grilled Paprika Turkey Thighs

Now may not be the time to be thinking of turkey breasts, with the whole bird looming in the near future.  But I love turkey thighs for their deep flavor and moistness.  Probably the only part of the turkey I'd grill.
2 large Turkey thighs
2 heads broccoli, sliced in thirds
2 jalapeño peppers, sliced lengthwise and seeded

Marinade:
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
palmful mint leaves, minced
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a small food processor. Process until mixed well.

Place thighs in a small casserole only big enough to fit them. Pour the marinate over the turkey thighs and marinate at least an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Bring the thighs back to room temperature before ready to cook.

Meanwhile heat grill to high. Toss broccoli and jalapeños in a bowl with a dash of olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grill the turkey thighs, turning several times, until cooked through about 12-15 minutes (internal temperature should be greater than 165F).

Grill the veggies until crisp tender and slightly charred, turning often. Set aside and keep warm until the turkey is done.

Serve the turkey thighs with the roasted veggies. Serves 4.