Just in time for the holidays, we are offering five of our family’s favorite meat rubs. They make fun stocking stuffers, great additions to gift baskets, and unique hostess gifts. We will have them available throughout the month of December at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC. Blends include Moroccan, Mediterranean, Creole, Blackening, and Savory Cocoa.
Priced at $5 per 1.5 oz packet.
Contact us for other delivery options.
Both of my boys love to cook and are quite good at it. My oldest son spent years as the head cook in a local restaurant. My youngest, well, he has become the true hunter-gather of the family.
This past winter Brady shot his first deer, a historical passage from boy- into manhood. Corey and I believe experiential learning is the best teacher, so Corey did his best to turn this opportunity into a learning experience.
All of my children have been in the cooler at the processing plant and have seen a whole steer, hog, and lamb hanging before it is cut and packaged. Corey often organizes carcass workshops for local 4-H kids so they can visualize how meat is graded as well as understand where the cuts of meat are located. The more they can connect pasture to plate the more respect they have for their job raising animals. However, a carcass before it has been cut into steaks still looks like a big hunk of meat. We wanted Brady to have a deeper connection now that he was interested in hunting.
Brady shot his deer on the last day of hunting season. With Corey’s help, Brady gutted and prepared the deer for harvesting. An Old Hunter stopped by the farm and offered to assist the guys in cutting and packaging the deer. As the Old Hunter efficiently broke down the carcass, Corey and Brady diligently wrapped every steak and roast. To pass the time the Old Hunter, having hunted for decades, recounted his years of experience. Many of the stories shared that day were priceless antiquities of another era – echoing the age old need to put food on the table. Collectively, all of them gave Brady an even greater respect between hunter and prey. That day Brady and Corey stepped back in time, sharing a moment between father and son as old as mankind.
If Brady is not busy making deer jerky, you might talk him into fixing you a burger or even a steak. But one thing is for sure, when Brady’s cooking dinner, venison is always on the menu.
Below is one of Brady’s favorite meat rubs. He uses it most often on venison but it works equally well on beef.
I think I have mentioned it before, but I live in a house full of picky eaters. I guess I shouldn’t say that. My kids eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and ethnic dishes, having been exposed to so many new ingredients through the farmers markets. It would be more accurate to say that everyone in my house likes *different* things. Either way, creating a meal can be a bit tricky.
Kebabs (also known as kabobs) are a great way to give everyone in the house exactly what they want. Corey can have his without onions and the kids can customize their own kebabs just they way they like them! I like living on the wild side with a little of everything.
Grilled Lamb & Vegetable Kebabs with Dipping Sauce
12 wooden skewers (10-inch)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 pounds boneless lamb (leg or shoulder), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, halved then quartered, cut into 1-inch pieces (keep layers intact)
2 small zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
2 small yellow squash, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
Place wooden skewers in a shallow dish and cover with water; set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer oil and garlic until garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside to cool.
Thread 6 skewers, alternating lamb and onion. Thread remaining 6 skewers with zucchini, squash and pepper. Brush lamb and vegetable kabobs with garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Place skewers on a hot grill rack. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until each side has grill marks and lamb is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes or until lamb reaches 160ºF for medium doneness.
Remove from grill. Serve with dipping sauces and whole wheat pita.
Honey Mustard Thyme Dipping Sauce
3 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, thyme, salt and pepper.
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper
Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board.
As the weather turns hotter, the count down begins. For those of you who have not found your way to the Clarke County Fair, I would definitely add it to your summer fun list! Yes, there are carnival rides, rodeos, petting zoos and all that exciting fair stuff, but the crowning jewel of the whole event, bar none, is the Chicken BBQ. Marinated just right. Slow cooked all day. Mouthwatering at its finest. For us, it has become the final exclamation point on a summer well spent.
Although the official barbeque recipe used by Clarke County Ruritan members is top secret, here are a few recipes I have collected over the years. The following sauce recipes are enough to grill 10 halves, so you may want to reduce the recipes by half or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We recommend salting the broiler halves before cooking, so salt is not included in any of the recipes. By the way, these sauces also work well on pork, lamb, goat, and beef!
Garrison’s Famous Broiler Barbecue Sauce
2 c. cider vinegar
½ t. red pepper
1 c. vegetable oil
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. Tabasco
Spicy and Sweet Barbecue Sauce
1½ c. water
¼ t. Tabasco
1 c. vinegar
¼ t. paprika
½ c. vegetable oil
¼ t. black or red pepper
1 lemon or 1 oz. juice
¼ t. onion powder
2 T. brown sugar
¼ t. garlic powder
New England Sauce
2 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 c. vegetable oil
2 t. black or red pepper
Chicken Barbecue Sauce
1 c. vinegar
2 t. Tabasco sauce
1 c. vegetable oil
3 t. prepared mustard
1 c. tomato catsup
1 lemon or 1 oz. juice
4 T. worcestershire sauce
¼ t. red or black pepper
2 T. sugar
Deviled Chicken
2½ c. vegetable oil
1 t. black pepper
¾ c. prepared mustard
1 t. red pepper
4 t. dry mustard
½ t. onion or garlic powder
Fruit Barbecue Sauce
1½ c. frozen pineapple juice concentrate
¼ c. water
1 c. vegetable oil
1 T. sugar
½ c. lemon juice
½ t. ginger
Spicy Chick-N-Que Sauce
1 c. water
2 T. chili or curry powder
1 c. vegetable oil
3 T. sugar
1 c. vinegar
2 t. red or black pepper
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. dry mustard
½ t. onion powder
¼ t. cayenne pepper
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. Tabasco sauce
2 T. paprika
Do-It-Yourself Sauce
Use 1½ to 2 cups vinegar and 1 to 1½ cups oil as a basic mixture. Add other ingredients, listed or not listed in the above recipes, to season to your taste.
Many of these were developed by Ed Garrison, retired Extension Poultry Specialist with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service.
Photo by American Lamb Board
In honor of Father’s Day, I found a great recipe for rack of lamb. Fire up the grill — this one’s a winner!
Grilled Rack of Lamb
Trim racks of all visible fat. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture over lamb ans set aside (or marinate in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).
Preheat grill.
Place lamb on grill over medium high heat and sear for a couple of minutes per side, reduce heat or move off of direct heat and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 150 degrees F. (about 10 minutes per side).
Serve over fingerling or new potatoes.
Serves 4.
For those who have limited experience cooking lamb, determining when it is done can be a challenge. An overcooked rack of lamb can be an expensive mistake and carving into an undercooked roast can be a bit frustrating. Yet the last thing you want to do is cut into a roast or chop to check for doneness. So what do you do? Using an instant read thermometer will give you quick and accurate temperature readings insuring the perfect main course for your meal.
As with other beef, lamb benefits from rest before serving, Resting (off of heat) allows the protein within the meat to relax and the juices to redistribute evenly. Give thin cuts like chops 5 minutes before serving and allow 20 minutes before carving roasts. Keep in mind that the meat’s internal temperature typically rises 5-10 degrees as it rests. So for best results, remove the lamb from heat when the thermometer reads 5-10 degrees less than your desired temperature.
The USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160F. Other cuts, including roasts and chops, should be cooked to 145F for medium-rare, 160F for medium, and 170F for well-done. The chart below also lists approximate cooking times.
