Ground lamb recipes?

[morela]

I apologize if there are recipes specifically for ground lamb in another thread but I couldn't find one.

Anyway, I love ground meat (which probably makes me a freak of nature) and I have made lamb burgers with feta, served on small pitas as the bun once but want to try something a bit different. Does anyone have some ideas?

Thanks!

 

[pdswife]

This is my favorite.



Great Greek Meatballs!!

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger or ground lamb
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 parsely
1 small onion, greated or chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


Directions:
mix all ingredients together

shape in to balls

roll in flour

fry in good olive oil!!

eat

enjoy

ask for more

 

[Andy M.]

Here is a recipe for Lamejun, an Armenian "pizza" made with ground lamb. It's delicious.

 

[boufa06]

I was about to suggest Keftedes (Greek Meatballs) but pdswife beat me to it!!

You can also try Youvarlakia Avgolemono (Meat Balls with egg and lemon sauce). Very appetizing!!

 

[Candocook]

Moussaka or stuffed cabbage.

CABBAGE ROLL CASSEROLE
1-1 1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 can water
1/2 C uncooked rice
4 C cabbage, shredded
sour cream
Brown meeat, onions, and garlic. Drain. Add tomato sauce, water and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Place 2/3 of the cabbage in a greased baking dish and cover with half the rice mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 1 hour.

This moussaka is different from many in that it doesn't use potatoes and has ricotta in the topping for a really delicous rich top. It freezes well before baking.

MOUSSAKA
3 Medium eggplant, peeled and cut in 1/2" slices
olive oil
3 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2# ground beef or lamb(better!!)
3 TBS tomato paste
1/2 C red wine
1 C bread crumbs
1 C parmesan
1/2 C parsley, chopped
salt/pepper/cinnamon to taste
TOPPING
8 TBS butter
6 TBS flous
4 eggs beaten frothy
4 C milk
2 C ricotta cheese (lo fat OK)
Oil a cookie sheet and bake eggplant at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Brown meat and drain fat. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in pan and cook onions and garlic until golden but no brown. Add browned meat and cook 5 minutes. Combine wine, tomato paste, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir into meat and simmer.
Prepare topping by melting butter, whisking in flour. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly and stir in beaten egg and ricotta.
Grease a lasagna pan (a foil lasagna pan works well--this makes a deep casserole). Sprinkle the bottom with bread crumbs. Arrange alternate layers of eggplant and meat mixture, sprinkling each layer with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Top with the cheese custard. Bake 1 hour or until top is puffy and golden brown. Cool 20-30 minutes before cutting. Serves 8. This will freeze very well. Cover with saran in contact with the topping and then aluminum foil. Thaw before cooking.

 

[lyndalou]

My favorite is stuffed grape leaves. I got the recipe from Jeff Smith's "The Frugal Gourmet" cookbook. I'll post it if you would like.

 

[Yakuta]

Indian recipes use a lot of ground lamb because majority of the Hindu population does not eat beef and pork due to religious reasons.

Here are two recipes that are very flavorful and hide the sometimes strong gamey taste of lamb:

Lamb Sheek Kababs:

2 pounds ground lamb
1 onion super finely chopped (to make it easy you can blend it and then drain the water from it in a mesh and add the onion pulp to the lamb
1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1 green chili finely diced or minced
salt (1.5 tsp or to taste)
2 tsp of freshly roasted cumin seeds (dry roast and then grind them into a powder)
2 tsp of freshly roasted corrainder seeds (dry roast and then grind them into a powder)
1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro (super fine)
1/4 cup of freshly chopped mint (super fine)

Mix it all together and let it marinate for atleast 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Thread onto a skewer and place it in a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake in the oven. You can even grill it if you live in a warmer climate.

Serve it with sliced onion rings and lime quarters. I also like to provide a few dipping sauces - I make one with cilantro, garlic,mint, lime and yogurt (just blend it all together) and one with tamarind and sugar.

Spicy Ground Lamb with Peas

This is one of my favorite meals. I make it from time to time.

2 pounds ground lamb
1 large onion finely chopped
1/2 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1/2 tbsp of finely minced garlic
2 tomatoes finely chopped
2 tsp of cumin powder (I like to roast seeds and grind my own for a flavor punch)
2 tsp of corrainder powder (Again I roast it and grind it)
1 tsp of cayanne powder
1/4 tsp of garam masala powder (buy readymade or make it by grinding some black peppercorns, a few cloves and a stick of cinnamon)
salt to taste
1 cup of water
2 tbsp of oil
cilantro for garnish

In a saute pan add the oil. Once it's hot, add the onions and saute them until golden. Add the ginger, garlic and dry spices and saute it for a minute or so. Next add the tomato lamb and water. Stir it all together to break the lumps and let it cook until the oil seperates (I like to almost use elbow grease to fry it a little bit at the tail end so that the water evaporates). Garnish with cilantro and serve with Naan or any other flat bread

 

[velochic]

My husband (born and raised in Turkey) is Armenian... Western Armenian to be exact (I guess it makes a difference because our daughter speaks and understands Western Armenian, but not Eastern Armenian).

Anyway, Lahmacun (pronounced Lah-ha-ma-june) is something we always have in the freezer for quick lunches.

This is his mother's recipe, however we've discovered that mexican tortillas are great for the dough instead of doing it by hand:

24 flour tortillas
5 soup spoons tomato paste
5 soup spoons pepper paste (go to Tulumba.com for this)
1 green pepper, grated
1 onion, grated and drained
1 cup coriander, chopped finely
1 soup spoon sumak
1 kilo finely ground lamb
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything but tortillas and mix well. It should be the consistency of fruit preserves, because you want it to be "spreadable".

Spread a very thin layer of the meat mixture onto the tortillas, going as close to the edge as you can. Cook under at broiler set at 150 C... that's what? About 300F?

Sprinkle with red pepper for some bite if you'd like. Enjoy!

 

[Robo410]

check arab and greek cookbooks for meatballs, mousaka, kafta, etc. Simply, make small meatballs with garlic and cinamon and parsley as your main flavors, cook in a garlic tomato sauce.
Also, try using lamb in your chili recipe...very good!

 

[velochic]

Oh, I have to give a thumbs up to Yakuta's Keema Mataar recipe (Lamb and peas). I have made this several times after getting the recipe from here when he first posted it a couple of years ago... HEAVEN!!!

Thanks for posting this recipe, again, Yakuta. It's WONDERFUL!!!!!!

 

[YT2095]

here is another was to enjoy it: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/337477-post5.html

 

[morela]

Thanks everyone! All of these look great. I am going to have to buy more ground lamb.

lyndalou: please do, if you don't mind. I have only ever had vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.



I now remember having Lamb Sheek Kababs, very very delicious!

 

[lyndalou]

Here's the recipe for Stuffed Grape Leaves.

1 16oz. jar grape leaves in brine, rinsed
3/4 cup long grain rice,washed
1 lb. ground lamb
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground allspice

Mix all above together well. I use my impeccably clean hands for this step.

Place a grape leaf on a flat surface with the stem end facing you. ( I remove the thick stems)
Put about 3/4 tsp of filling in the center about a third of the way up.
Roll into a bundle tucking the sides in. GENTLY squeeze to help it all stay together. Continue until you've used all of the filling.

Place a few unused large leaves on the bottom of a 3 qt. pot.Layer the grape leaves seam side down very close together. They should be snug to prevent them from floating and breaking up.

Continue layering until they are all in the pot.. Add just enough water to barely cover them.

I place a plate on top of them to hold them down tightly. Cover the pot and simmer over med. heat for 1.2 hour.
Meanwhile, combine the following:

Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced very fine
1 tsp. dried mint leaves (heaping)

Add wate to this mixture to make 1 cup. Pour on top of grape leaves, and simmer covered for an additional 1/2 hour.

I serve them with plain yogurt either hot or cold.