10841 Spiced Lamb Riblets 4 hrs, plus 12 to 24 hrs for marinating 30 mins 20 to 25 riblets Tue Sep 04 09:41:00 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 04 12:26:00 -0700 2009 Middle Eastern CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/10841 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:26:00 GMT A natural pairing of lamb and Moroccan spices A natural pairing of lamb and Moroccan spices. San Francisco’s Nopa is the ultimate neighborhood restaurant. Though the eatery’s known for its burger, the menu has a distinctly Mediterranean influence. The more sophisticated dishes, such as these lamb riblets, are major crowd-pleasers.

What to buy: Denver ribs, also known as riblets, consist of seven to eight ribs that are cut from the lamb breast and belly. You’ll have to special order them from your butcher, so be sure to plan ahead accordingly. And make sure the butcher doesn’t separate them into individual ribs; ask for the whole rack.

Harissa is a North African chile and spice paste that adds a nice dose of heat to foods. You can make it yourself, or easily find it in a jar or tube at most gourmet markets.

This recipe was featured as part of both our Modern Potluck story and our Bar Snacks photo gallery.

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  • Heat a small, dry frying pan over medium heat. Add peppercorns, cumin, coriander, fennel, and chile flakes, and toast, swirling the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and finely grind. Combine ground spices with salt and rub on riblets to completely coat them.
  • Place riblets in a large resealable plastic bag and add any leftover rub; close the bag and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove riblets from the refrigerator and heat oven to 325°F.
  • Combine broth, thyme, garlic, and riblets in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and braise in heated oven until meat is very tender and easily pulls off the bones, about 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, cook on the stovetop over low heat. Check periodically that the liquid is just barely simmering and is not at a boil, adjusting heat as necessary. Remove riblets from braising liquid, strain braising liquid, and cool both meat and strained liquid; reserve.
  • Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cut lamb riblets into individual bones; working in batches, place meat side down on the heated pan, and turn when meat begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and repeat.
  • Combine harissa, butter, lime juice, and braising liquid in the pot used to braise the lamb, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until sauce is reduced enough to look like it will glaze meat, about 5 to 8 minutes. Pour over riblets, sprinkle with mint and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.

    • Beverage pairing: Paris Goulart Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Argentina. Cabernet has a grassiness that works perfectly with the herbal flavor of lamb. But these ribs are coated so thoroughly in aromatic spices that a wine with a little spice can add some nuance to the pairing, hence this Cabernet-Malbec blend from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

    ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/12/lamb_riblets290.jpg Adapted from Laurence Jossel 53 Starter 305 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

    ]]>     283 2 teaspoons dried cumin seed

    ]]>     282 2 teaspoons dried coriander seed

    ]]>     285 2 teaspoons dried fennel seed

    ]]>     277 1 teaspoon red chile flakes

    ]]>     301 2 tablespoons kosher salt

    ]]>     2 1/2 pounds Denver lamb ribs (about 2 racks)

    ]]>     1 quart low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth**

    ]]>     228 1/2 bunch fresh thyme

    ]]>     74 2 medium garlic heads, skin-on, slightly smashed

    ]]>     2 tablespoons Harissa

    ]]>     1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

    ]]>     44 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    ]]>     1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon reserved braising liquid

    ]]>     195 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

    ]]>     153 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

    ]]>     505 lamb 836 adventurous 762 chef 452 cilantro 1046 cold weather 769 crowd pleaser 501 entertaining 465 garlic 747 grilling 1619 omnivore 273 party 3509 middle eastern 345 braise 3690 laurence jossel 6027 gluten free