Spice (6 page)

S
ERVES
4

2 tablespoons canola oil

Four 10-to 14-ounce lamb shoulder chops, 1½ to 2 inches thick

2 cups dry red wine

1 cup water

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 teaspoons garlic, peeled, split, and mashed (about 4 cloves)

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into ¾-inch rings on the bias

1 large white onion, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see Resources, page 358)

4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 equal pieces (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Heat a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and 2 of the lamb chops. Cook them for about 4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Remove the chops and set them aside in a roasting pan big enough to hold all 4 chops. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully pour off any fat that has rendered and add ¼ cup of the wine to the browning pan. Scrape up the sugars stuck to the bottom of the pan and strain the liquid through a strainer over the meat. Wipe the pan clean and repeat the browning process with the remaining 2 chops and 1 tablespoon oil and another ¼ cup wine.

3.
Sprinkle the cumin over the lamb chops. Add the garlic, carrot, the remaining 1½ cups wine, and the onion to the pan and top it off with enough water so that the liquid reaches halfway up the chops. Cover twice with baking foil and seal tightly, or cover with a lid that fits tightly. Braise in the oven for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat begins to fall apart with the poke of a fork.

4.
Remove the lamb chops from the pan and strain the braising juices into a bowl. Reserve the carrots for garnish.

5.
Refrigerate the braising liquid until the fat rises to the surface and can be easily skimmed off and discarded (at least 1 hour). Skim and pour the juices in a saucepan. Boil the liquid over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until reduced by half.

6.
Stir in the pomegranate molasses and butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice.

7.
Look at the lamb closely and remove any little chunks of excess fat from around the edges of the chops with your fingers.

8.
Reheat the lamb and carrots in the sauce by simmering them over low heat for about 10 minutes. Turn the lamb to coat it nicely with the sauce after 5 minutes and serve.

Galette of Tender Pork with Cumin and Cider

Arabic cooking doesn’t include pork because of Muslim dietary restrictions, so this is a dish with a little Spanish inspiration. The Moors in Spain cook with pork using Arabic flavors. The savory cumin, combined with cinnamon and sweet cider, gives this dish its sweet/sour signature and great autumn flavors. The pork is cooked in cider and spices until it pulls apart easily with a fork. It makes a great filling for Spanish-style empanadas (using puff pastry) or stuffed into an apple or pumpkin and baked again.

A German rosé (see page 357) made from
spatburgender
grapes (the German name for pinot noir) pairs very well with this dish.

M
AKES
8
GALETTES TO SERVE
4
TO
8

4 pounds pork butt (boneless shoulder meat), cut into 4 equal pieces

¼ cup salt

3 tablespoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 12 cloves or 1 head)

4 cups apple cider (if you can’t find cider, use apple juice and add 3 or 4 sliced apples to the braising liquid)

2 cups white wine

1 cinnamon stick

3 eggs

1 cup dry bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

USING SALT

Salt is one of the most important ingredients to understand because its use is crucial in drawing out flavor. Salt must be used with balance. It is important to season with salt throughout the cooking process, adding it little by little. If you season a dish with salt only after it has finished cooking, the ingredients will not have had enough time to absorb the salt, and you will taste it on the outside of the food. Generally, slow-cooked dishes like Galette of Tender Pork with Cumin and Cider require a heavy hand with salt, as do potatoes and green beans. Whenever possible, use sea salt or kosher salt. Sea salt is pure salt that all other commercially produced cooking salts try to mimic. Kosher salt is salt with added minerals. Avoid iodized salt. It is highly processed with chemicals and leaves a harsh flavor on food.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Season the pork butt generously with the ¼ cup salt. Rub it with cumin and garlic, and place the meat in a heavy braising pan. Add the cider, white wine, and cinnamon stick to the pork, then cover the pan with three layers of baking foil, or use a lid that fits tightly.

3.
Braise for 2½ to 3 hours or until the meat is tender and can be pulled apart with a fork.

4.
Drain and reserve the braising liquid and let the meat and liquid cool for at least 1 hour (as long as overnight). Skim the fat off the braising liquid and reserve 1 cup. Keep the rest of the liquid for other uses, like soup. It freezes well.

5.
When the meat is cool enough to handle, begin roughly shredding it with a fork or by hand, discarding any fat or tissue.

6.
Combine the pork with the eggs, bread crumbs, and 1 cup braising liquid and season with salt and pepper. Form the meat into 8 patties.

7.
In a medium or 10-inch sauté pan over medium-low heat, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Brown the patties 4 at a time and cook until they are golden brown and crispy outside and hot in the middle, about 5 minutes on each side. Brown the remaining 4 patties with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil.

8.
Serve the pork patties with Chickpea Crepes (page 8).

Grilled Skirt Steak with Tomato, Caramelized Butter, and Cumin

This is a twist on a classic Turkish kebob called
Iskander
, which is typically served as chunks of grilled meat on a small pita, topped with tomato, brown butter, yogurt, and hot peppers. I like to use skirt steak because it’s full of flavor and the price is right. Quality (organic or natural) beef in prime cuts is expensive. You can substitute sirloin for this recipe if your butcher can’t provide skirt steak and your budget allows it.

This recipe will work best if you use Greek yogurt, which is thicker and creamier than other yogurts and has a consistency like sour cream. You may find it in some markets, such as Trader Joe’s, and in most Arabic, Greek, or Armenian shops. Old Chatham Sheepherding Company makes good tangy yogurt you can use as a substitution (on the Web at www.blacksheepcheese.com or at whole foods markets). For this recipe, the yogurt doesn’t necessarily have to be thick, but it does need to be tangy and made with rich, whole milk.

Pair this dish with a Chianti Classico or other Sangiovese-based wine.

S
ERVES
4