Lamb? You're probably thinking that sounds gourmet and expensive. And usually you'd be right. But wait just a second. For this recipe, I'm thinking cheap and lazy. Wait, lamb? Cheap? Lazy? You probably think I'm kidding. A few weeks ago I would have thought I was kidding too. A few weeks ago I'd never come across lamb breasts ribs. Lamb breast ribs are meaty and fatty and very easy to cook; they just take a while. But the best part—they don't necessarily need a whole lot of supervision. And they're definitely cheap. I found several pounds worth for around $5. There aren't many cuts of any meat that you can pick up for that price. Now that we've covered cheap, how about lazy. I had already picked up the lamb breast, but had to figure out how in the world I was going to cook them. They were sitting in my fridge when I heard the news that we were expecting Hurricane Isaac. I live on the Gulf Coast. Expecting a hurricane does not give you a lot of time to cook or prepare food. Instead of cooking, I needed to be preparing for a hurricane. After hurricane prep was all said and done, I didn't have a whole lot of energy left over and I was feeling lazy. So this recipe isn't about exact measurements. Just use your best judgment and throw on some spices. I promise, it will still turn out amazing.
Curry-crusted Lamb Breasts w/ Basil Yogurt Sauce*
3-5 lbs Lamb Breasts Ribs
Salt and Pepper
Ginger powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
Paprika
Turmeric
Cardamom
Coriander
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cayenne pepper
Basil Yogurt sauce (see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse off the lamb breast ribs and place in an oven safe dish large enough to hold all the ribs. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper, then with garlic and ginger powder, then with cumin and paprika. Use a little less turmeric. Then a little less cardamom and coriander. A little less of cinnamon and cloves. For cayenne pepper, season to taste. Lightly for a little taste or heavily for heat. You can also choose to season with Thai chili powder for more heat. (Do not use regular chili powder. Chili powder is a different type of chili and will drastically alter the taste.) Flip the lamb breast ribs over and repeat on the other side. Cover with an oven safe lid or foil, and place in oven. Cook for approximately 3 hours. Flip breast ribs halfway through cooking time.
Basil Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
2-3 tbsp chopped Thai basil
1 tsp toasted cumin
pinch of sea salt
Whisk all ingredients together immediately after placing ribs in oven and refrigerate while ribs are cooking. This allows time for the ingredients to blend and meld together. Serve cold with ribs.
Note:
*The photo makes the lamb look burnt. This is really all the seasonings crusted onto the ribs and exactly what you are looking for!
