"Cooking with Betty"
Lamb for dinner
Betty Jacobs

Lamb for dinner

You can whip up a feast when you have the main course recipe for a shamrock dinner or an early Easter dinner with Barbecued Lamb Shanks or wonderful Lamb Stew or my favorite Marinated Leg of Lamb.

Enjoy!
Barbecued Lamb Shanks
4 to 6 lamb shanks
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 cup catsup
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard

Brown lamb shanks in salad oil. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over shanks. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Spoon sauce over shanks several times during cooking. Remove cover; cook 15 minutes longer to thicken sauce.

Serves 4 to 6.
Lamb Stew
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 cups water
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
4 small whole onions, quartered
4 stalks celery, cut into pieces
2 to 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into
pieces

Sprinkle lamb with sugar. In large fry pot or Dutch oven, brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Add water, wine, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Cover; simmer 45 minutes or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables; cover and cook until vegetables are tender.

Tip: Pork is also good instead of lamb. Also, if desired, omit wine and use 2 3/4 cups water.

Serves 6 to 8.
Marinated Leg of Lamb
Marinade:
Olive oil (about 5 to 6 tablespoons)
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
6 sprigs thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)

6 sprigs tarragon (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
1 large bay leaf, crumbled
6 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
3 teaspoons coarsely crushed black pepper.

The marinade flavors the lamb beautifully and the herb butter that coats the lamb, when it's done, adds even more interest to this dish.
Roast mixture:
5-pound leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut finely
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Herb butter:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves (or 1 teaspoon
dried)
2 tablespoons snipped chives
2 tablespoons parsley leaves

Marinade: Prepare this two days before you plan to roast the lamb. Spread out a large piece of wax paper or foil.

Mix together all the herbs and place half of them on the paper or foil, spreading them out evenly. Lay the lamb on top and cover it with the remaining herbs and marinade ingredients.

Close the paper neatly around the lamb, without making an airtight seal. Refrigerate until ready to roast.

Several hours before roasting, remove the lamb from the marinating package and wipe it clean.

Insert slivers of the garlic into pockets that you have cut all over the leg; spread the softened butter over the meat.

Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat registers 160 degrees. Roast for less time if you prefer pink lamb. Remove lamb to serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes.

For herb butter, mix all ingredients together in a processor until well blended. Just before carving the lamb, spread this all over the roast. It has a wonderful flavor.

Serves 6 to 8.