Lamb

Man, nothing gets me more excited than going to the grocery store and finding something which is both delicious and inexpensive. Lamb neck, at $2.99/lb, is one of those things. Lamb neck, you say? Well, it's exactly what you think it is...the neck of a lamb. It's not quite the throat-y part but more towards the base of the neck. Now, now...don't get grossed out...it's really, really succulent/flavorful when properly cooked. In addition, I figure I'm doing my duty as a carnivore by cooking an overlooked cut of meat...respecting the animal and all that. Anyhow, I see some sort of lamb stew/braise in the immediate future and I now have an excuse to spend some quality time with my cookbook collection in search of a recipe!

Dinner tonight was a lamb burger. I went into the kitchen, saw a plethora of hamburger buns, a wealth of mint and immediately thought of lamb burgers. Because I've been on a real Indian kick, I thought that using typically Indian spices and condiments would be fun. I made the spicy mint chutney with shallots, green chile, mint and a bit of lime juice to help it blend. Yogurt sauce was just drained yogurt, lemon juice and minced mint. The lamb patty contained grated shallots, garam masala, yogurt, mint and salt. Pickled carrots were simple...rice wine vinegar, carrots, sugar and water. Toasted bun, of course.

All in all, an easy dinner. George and Carrie really enjoyed the burgers and so did I! If anything, I thought the lamb flavor was too subtle for the aggressive flavors I paired with it. Beef might've been better although George vigorously disagrees.

Mmmmm....food coma.