THE THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN
30. LAMB FOR SOUS VIDE
The instant I walked into my new blue life I knew to order some lamb from Even Brady.
Who doesn’t love lamb shank? We’ll get several meals from these two beauties this week and as a bonus, an amazing stock and reduction sauce.
Five of the seven THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN essays take advantage of these shanks. That’s crazy!
Our favorite butcher: E.A. Brady’s Local Pastured Meats
FIRST STAGE: Prepare and coat shanks with spice for the sous vide – 140º for 48 hours. What in the hell am I going to do for 48 hours?
SECOND STAGE: Trim from bone and braise with blueberries and nectarines. Can’t wait for that.
Finish with a lamb stock and fruit reduction. Are you ready? I really have no idea where this is going to end up except that it will be great fun.
Pull the trigger:
• Cumin seed
• Coriander seed
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Seed toasting pan
• Turmeric
• Salt & pepper
• Salsa roja 35k (essay 28)
• Easy garlic (essay 1)
• Lamb shanks inspected and dry
• Mortar & pestle (or mill)
• Oiling dish
• Dredging dish
Wake this stuff up but no scorching!
Dump toasted stuff to cool.
Grind seeds and cinnamon, add turmeric, salt & pepper.
Mix it up.
Dump into dredging container and add a generous amount of nutmeg.
Now for the oiler. This is a combo of easy garlic and salsa roja. Can be any kind of pepper stuff with a big kick.
Cover shanks evenly with oiler combo and dredge evenly. Press all over to make it stick as best you can.
Carefully place in gallon freezer bags for sealing.Should look like a huge cutlet.
In case you forgot. Always turn the zipper down so it does not get any food stuff on it. Bags needs a perfect seal to work.
Submerge into the water bath. Let the air be forced out by the water pressure as you sink it. Once out, seal it up. If if floats or bobs, try and try again until you figure it out.
Temperature is set for 140º. I’m getting the shanks sunk and sealed while the temperature remains low. I’ll flip the switch to start in a minute.
Anova Precision Cooker makes a very reliable and rugged sous vide instrument.
One shank per bag. I think this shot was taken about 24 hours into the 48 hour process.
It’s done. 48 hours. I’m holding a bag with a corner pointed down and snipping with a scissors to allow the juices to escape the bag and into a collection bowl.
With a regular table knife, scrape the dredging from the shanks – toss out.
This is what I call “pick’n”. I’m looking for a pile of pure lamb with the bone and what isn’t lean goes into the stock pot (pressure cooker).
Like this. I’ll tell you what’s coming. We’re going in three directions at the same time. All simple. All easy. All tasty. All necessary to get the full value out of this meaty purchase.
• On the left will be lamb stock.
• On the top is the juice from the sous vide bags which will be added to the stock.
• Some of the stock will be the foundation of a lamb & fruit reduction.
• The reduction will be the glazing for the second stage braising of the “pick’n” lamb.
I just want a little lift and brightness with some Maldon’s sea salt flakes.
Now I’m putting the lamb in this beautiful Le Creuset cast iron braising pot and adding fresh local fruit. Blueberries and nectarines.
Some thyme, oregano and a splash of water.
Cover and braise in the oven (or on the stove). I’m in the oven at 375º for about 45 minutes or so. Something like that.
After the lamb braise cools a little, I’m pick’n the lamb parts out of the fruit and herbs. If you look carefully, you’ll see the lamb under my hand.
It just so happens that while the braise was working, the stock was working too and they both finished about the same time.
Now that the lamb has been picked it can be set aside and I’m adding lamb stock to the braising pot.
Now comes blueberries and more nectarine.
The fruit and stock soup is ready for the stove and will continue to reduce and thicken and end up obscenely delicious.
This is how I am introducing the reduction to the shank. Both the stock and reduction essays (31 & 32), in detail, follow this one.
What is in that big yellow kadai? It is explained in detail in my essay 33 entitled Vegetables with Attitude.
This seemed like a good accompaniment for the lamb or maybe the other way around. Probably the latter.
This is how it ended up. It looks delicious – can’t wait.
Carol Ann and I sure had fun with this meal. Maybe we were in Tunisia?
By the way, cold cucumbers are a great substitute for sorbet – a refreshing break which quickly restores the palate as it gets a good workout with this meal.
MORE THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN ESSAYS
30. lamb for sous vide
31. lamb stock
32. lamb reduction
33. vegetables with attitude
34. a bean salad dinner
35. left-overs
36. lamb & parsley soup
Thanks for visiting with me.
Paul V’Soske
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