Mansaaf Spiced Lamb Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring once or twice, until well browned on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add the diced onions and stir. Add enough water to cover the lamb and onions and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the lamb is just tender, about 45 minutes.
• When the lamb is close to done, heat the yogurt, lemon juice, egg white and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking until combined. Bring to a boil, then add the cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon and allspice and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the rice, 3 cups water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let sit 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee in a small skillet. Add the almonds and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the almonds are toasted and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with a pinch of salt and remove from the heat.
• Pour the yogurt mixture into the pot with the lamb and stir to combine. Simmer, covered, until the lamb is fully tender and can easily be shredded with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the butter and turmeric. Taste and add salt if necessary. Set aside.
• Spoon the rice onto a large platter. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lamb on top of the rice. Ladle the broth over the top until the rice looks well saturated (you will not use all the broth). Sprinkle with the almonds and parsley. Pour the remaining broth into a serving bowl and serve alongside the platter. Sprinkle the sliced onions with the sumac and serve on the side to use for scooping.

Steps:

• Combine the lamb, pork fatback, mint, chipotles, chives, black pepper, orange zest and 2 tablespoons salt in a bowl. Transfer to a large plastic zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight.
• At least 30 minutes before grinding the meat, place all of your tools (including the meat grinder parts, stand mixer bowl, stand mixer paddle attachment and sausage stuffer parts) in the freezer to chill.
• Using your meat grinder, grind the marinated meat mixture through the small die plate into the chilled bowl of the stand mixer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, then return the mixture to the mixer. Add the milk and wine and beat on medium speed using the chilled paddle attachment until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Stuff the sausages and, for best results, refrigerate overnight.
• Before cooking, pierce each sausage several times with a pin. Grill over medium heat until the center registers 160 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can also pan-fry or broil the sausages.) Slice the sausages lengthwise and serve on a split toasted baguette with crumbled feta and roasted peppers.

Steps:

• Stir together the marinade ingredients and season with ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1½ tsp flaky salt. Slash the lamb several times on both sides, then massage the marinade all over it. Seal into a large food bag or non-metallic container and chill overnight (or at least for a few hrs). Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hr before roasting.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the lamb into a foil-lined roasting tin and roast for 20 mins. Turn the oven down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roast for 1 hr 20 mins for meat that's pink near the bone. Cover loosely with foil halfway through cooking or once the marinade has charred and the meat looks golden.
• Leave the lamb to rest for 20 mins before carving, then serve with lentil & tomato and cucumber salads (see related recipes).

Steps:

• Combine lamb and 4 cups water in a wide 5-quart heavy pot (add more water to just cover lamb if necessary). Bring to a boil over moderate heat, skimming froth from surface. Once liquid is clear and at a full boil, add pepper and 1 teaspoon salt, then cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• While meat is simmering, heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in turmeric, allspice, cardamom pods, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add onion mixture to lamb and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove lid and briskly simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 hour more. Add yogurt, gently shaking and swirling pot to incorporate.
• Simmer lamb over moderately low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally in one direction only (or yogurt may curdle), until sauce is slightly thickened and meat is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper if necessary and discard cinnamon stick.
• While sauce simmers, bring remaining 3 cups water with remaining teaspoon salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add rice and stir once, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Slide pan off heat (do not lift) and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork.
• Line a 3-quart shallow serving bowl with a single layer of pita halves (reserve remaining pita to serve alongside), then mound rice on top of bread. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over rice to moisten and arrange meat over rice. Sprinkle with pine nuts and spoon 1/2 cup sauce over meat, then arrange reserved pita and red onions around edge of bowl. Pour remaining sauce through a sieve into a sauceboat or small bowl and serve on the side.

Steps:

• Wash meat cubes and place in tray with lid. Cover meat with water, cover tray and place in refrigerator for 4-8 hours.
• Melt 1/4 cup of the clarified butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and pat dry meat cubes. Place in skillet and cook for 20 minutes until browned on all sides. Season meat with salt and pepper, to taste, and add enough water to cover meat. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 hour. Add onion and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
• While meat and onion are cooking, place yogurt in a large saucepan and whisk over medium heat until liquid. Whisk in egg white and ½ teaspoon of salt. Slowly bring yogurt mixture to boil stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in one direction only to reach desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and allow yogurt to softly simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Stir yogurt into meat and add seasonings as desired. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
• In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the remaining 4 tablespoons of clarified butter. Add almonds and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in pine nuts and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Split the khubz loaves open and arrange, overlapping on a large serving tray. Melt the last remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over the khubz to soften. Arrange rice over the khubz leaving a well in the center of the rice. Spoon the meat into the rice well and then spoon the butter and nuts over the meat. Sprinkle parsley or chives over top.
• NOTE ON CLARIFIED BUTTER:.
• Clarified butter is necessary for frying since it doesn't burn.
• One stick (or 1/2 cup of butter) will yield about 6 tablespoons of clarified butter. So for this recipe, you will need to clarify approximately 3/4 cup of butter.
• Following is a simple clarification method. It's not perfect, but easy and close enough. Slowly melt a stick of butter. Remove from heat and allow butter to cool undisturbed for 10 minutes to separate. You will notice a white foam on the top, the clarified butter in the center, and milk solids at the bottom. Carefully, skim the foam off the top and discard. Slowly pour the clarified butter off the milk solids into a measuring cup. Discard, the separated solids.
• NOTE ON SPICES:.
• For a more authentic Bedouin flavor add the following spices:.
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
• ½ teaspoon of cloves.
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.

Steps:

• Place lamb in a large pan and just cover with water.
• Bring to boil slowly, skimming off froth (this is blood and wont taste good if left in).
• When clean and boiling, add salt and pepper as desired, cover and simmer about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a skillet, and add snoober nuts, sautéing till golden.
• Remove, keeping butter in the pan as much as possible, and set nuts aside.
• Add onion to pan, frying gently until clear.
• Then stir in turmeric, allspice and cinnamon all at once and cook another 2 minutes only.
• Add onion mixture to the lamb.
• Meanwhile, prepare Laban mutboukh as follows:Place the yogurt in a heavy pan.
• Blend beaten egg whites with cornflour and add salt, stirring into the yogurt until well mixed.
• Place pan over medium heat, and stirring constantly, heat until it begins to boil.
• It's important to stir in the same direction, or so my grandma always said.
• Lower the heat and let simmer, uncovered about 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
• Set aside.
• When lamb as cooked about 1 hour, remove the lid, cooking until the liquid has been reduced so it's covering only half the lamb.
• Then add laban mutboukh, shaking the pan instead of stirring to blend.
• Simmer over low heat until lamb is tender and sauce is thickened.
• If it can't be helped, and sauce must be stirred, do so in one direction.
• Adjust salt and pepper as desired and remove cinnamon.
• Pile the mansaaf on a serving plate, sprinkling with the snoober nuts.
• Serve with hot cooked rice.
• Mansaaf is usually eaten over the rice with the sauce poured generously over the top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put meat in mixing bowl and set aside.
• Heat oil in saucepan and add onion, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are wilted. Set aside to cool briefly.
• Add cooked vegetables to meat. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, mustard, bread crumbs and egg. Blend well with the fingers.
• Pack mixture into 6-cup loaf pan. Smooth over the top.
• Place pan in oven and bake 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Steps:

• Combine five-spice, sauce, honey, vinegar and garlic in a bowl.
• Combine lamb with 1-11/2 tablespoons of the five-spice mixture in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a wok; stir-fry lamb in batches, until browned. Remove and set to one side.
• Add onion, ginger and chili and stir-fry until onion softens, return lamb with remaining five-spice mixture.
• Add broccoli stir-fry 3 Min's, add snow peas and sprouts and stir-fry until veg are just tender. Stir in coriander.
• Note: Cooking time will be longer if not using a wok.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees C/ 425 degrees F.
• In samll bowl, combine mint, apricots, dates, pine nuts, orange and lemon zests, and olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Press fruit mixture into leg cavity, tie with kitchen string to hold together. Spread harissa paste over leg and sprinkle with cumin seeds.
• Place leg of lamb in a roasting tin and roast in preheated oven 40 minutes per kilogram (20 minutes per pound) or until lamb is cooked to desired done-ness.
• Remove lamb from oven and let rest on cutting board a few minutes while you make the gravy.
• For gravy, put roasting tin on stove top and bring to a high heat. Stir in a teaspoon of harissa paste, (optional), a splash of red wine and enough water to bring it to a gravy-like consistency.
• Let gravy bubble and thicken until reduced by half.
• Carve lamb and serve with the gravy, bulgar wheat (kasha) aand a green salad.