Mission Chinese- Cumin Lamb

Last week, I went to Mission Chinese in the Lower East Side, and had the yummiest lamb dish ever.

We ordered Lamb Meatballs, but this was mistakenly given to us, and it's probably the best mistake in a while.

Sizzling Cumin Lamb

Danny Bowien use lamb breast or lamb belly, sometimes even lamb ribs, but lamb shoulder works just as well.

4–6 servings

Recipe by Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco, CA

May 2012
Ingredients

• 1 cup cumin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup coriander seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup fennel seed, toasted
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (not toasted)
• 4 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups beer (Budweiser or any other pilsner works well)
• 4 cups beef or low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cola
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 yellow onion, burnt over an open flame, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeños, burnt over an open flame, finely chopped with seeds
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 garlic clove, smashed

Assembly

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 red jalapeños, thinly sliced with seeds
• 1 pound ramen noodles
• 1 bunch cilantro, tough stems removed
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 green jalapeño, thinly sliced with seeds
• Chili Pickled Long Beans (click for recipe)

Preparation

Lamb

• Pulse cumin, coriander, and fennel in a food processor until you have a rough grind. Combine half of spice mixture, salt, sugar, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a medium bowl; add lamb and toss to coat (reserve remaining spice mixture). Let lamb marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Working in batches, cook meat until brown, about 4 minutes per batch; transfer meat to a platter. Add beer; stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan. Simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 4 minutes. Return lamb to pot; add broth and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2–3 hours. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lamb to a baking sheet; reserve. Skim fat from braising liquid.

Assembly

• Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet until it is very hot. Pat lamb pieces dry. Brush with oil and season with some of reserved spice mix. Working in batches, cook lamb, turning occasionally, until smoky and fragrant but not burnt, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a large bowl. Toss onion and red jalapeños in a bowl with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add to griddle and cook until softened and charred in spots, about 3 minutes; add to bowl with lamb.
• Bring lamb braising liquid to a simmer. Add noodles, simmer until just tender, about 1 minute. Add reserved meat, onions, and jalapeños.
• Combine cilantro, scallions, vinegar, sesame seeds, ane green jalapeño in a large bowl. Season to taste with some of remaining spice mix; toss to coat. Divide lamb mixture among bowls. Top with the cilantro mixture. Serve Chili Pickled Long Beans on the side.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/05/sizzling-cumin-lamb#ixzz2PEPrrP25