There is just something special about gnawing on a piece of meat still attached to the bone. Lamb popsicles are a rather sophisticated way to do so but they demand to be eaten by hand, so get your utensils out of here and get ready to get messy. On their own they are an appetizer to impress but I served them for lunch so I added in a cranberry and brussels sprout salad with a light vinaigrette to make them into a full meal. The lamb itself only takes 2-3 minutes to grill on each side but it needs to be marinated for at least a few and up to 24 hours before cooking. Lamb is a very moist and tender meat and this is easily maintained when it is cooked quickly at a very high heat. To make lamb popsicles you can buy individual chops or a full rack (which will have 7-8 pieces), either way they will need to be trimmed down, also known as frenched. In this method the excess (meat, fat and membranes) is trimmed off of the bones, leaving the rib eye intact. I also like to slice off any large pieces of fat around the meat, it looks cleaner and there is enough extra flavor from the marinade and glaze not to warrant it.
Most of the lamb I have seen available in the stores here in BC is all the way from New Zealand. After seeing firsthand the endless rolling fields the country offers I believe it when the labels promise the meat to be “free range”. Red meat (including lamb) has a much higher ratio of the essential omega-3 fatty acids when it comes from animals that spent their life grazing on grass versus eating manufactured feed. Omega-3s among their many functions play a big part in reducing inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is how our body heals itself from invaders and injuries but when it is chronic it can lead to many serious diseases. Antioxidants also keep inflammation in check, some of which can be found in lamb, specifically selenium and vitamin A, both of which have been shown to be higher when the animal was grass fed.
Flying through the New Zealand countryside, in a rare stretch not dappled with the white specks of sheep and lambs
- Marinade
- 1 lb lamb chops, frenched
- ¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- Glaze
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Cranberry Brussels Sprout Salad
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 cup radicchio, shredded
- 1 cup kale, chopped finely
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut butter (or almond butter)
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or raw honey
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Place the lamb in a plastic bag with its marinade ingredients and refrigerate for 3-24 hours; if you are able, bring it out of the fridge around 20 minutes before you are ready to start cooking so that it can come to room temperature.
- The salad can also be made in advance (by a few hours or even the night before), the vegetables are quite hardy so they will not wilt from sitting in the dressing, they will actually soften up nicely and the flavors will all integrate better. Simply toss all the salad ingredients together, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Remove the lamb from its marinade and place on a clean plate. Mix the grainy mustard and honey for the lamb's glaze and use a pastry brush or your fingers to rub it into both side of the meat. The lamb can either be grilled on the BBQ over high heat or on a skillet on the stove, also over high heat, for 2-3 minutes.
