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[jay-ell]

J. Dunston's Signature-style Grilled Lamb Kebabs

This is a delicious summer or autumn dish that feeds 4 to 6 generously.  It is important to cook this over a charcoal fire rather than under the broiler -- the open flame chars the thick marinade to form a delicious crispy crust without overcooking the lamb.  

This is an expensive meal to make, but it makes an impressive presentation for a formal dinner party or an intimate candlelit dinner.  To serve two, reduce the amount of marinade/dip by half and look for prepackaged lamb shanks or cross-cut lamb steaks.  Allow 1 lb/person for bone-in; 1/2 - 2/3 lb/person for near-boneless cuts.  

Begin this recipe the night before you plan to serve.  

Ingredients:

Whole packaged leg of lamb (4 - 5 lb.)
16 oz. plain yogurt
1 large cucumber
1 lb fresh whole mushrooms, peeled and trimmed
1 package fresh mint
6-10 Bamboo skewers

In Advance:

Hack and slash the lamb into cubes approx. 2-3 inches across.  Set aside.  

Coarsely chop the mint and add it to the yougurt.  Cut the cucumber in half and slice half of it into 1/2-inch disks.  Set aside.  Roughly chop the other half and stir into yogurt mixture.  Pour about half the yogurt mixture into a large casserole or airtight container.  Reserve the other half for dip.  

Add the meat cubes to the yogurt mixture, cover, and refrigerate overnight.  

Final Prep:

Start the grill.  You want the hottest possible fire for this.  

Remove the meat from the marinade and skewer the meat, mushrooms, and cucumber slices on the bamboo skewers.  (Some recipe books tell you to soak the skewers in water overnight; this is a personal preference but it makes them less likely to splinter.)  

When the fire is good and hot, throw the kebabs on the grill.  The fire will flare up as the yogurt melts and drips on it, but keep turning those kebabs with tongs until they are crispy and slightly charred on each side.  If you like, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature; lamb should not be cooked past medium (145 degrees F).  Plan about 15-20 minutes for this stage.  

Serve over rice with reserved marinade on the side as dip.  Do not re-use the yogurt you marinated the meat in -- it is extremely unsanitary.  

Let me know if you try this, and how it came out.  I have been playing with this recipe for over 2 years now and I think it's finally perfect.

[Nice Jough]

This thread was lonely because no one replied to it.

Well those lamb kabobs sure do sound delicious jldunston!

I will be sure to try them, although I will substitute vegetables for the lamb because it is mean to hurt those poor little lambs whose fleece are white as snow.

[AugustWest]

I am certain to try this.  Lamb is my absolute favorite.  Sounds wonderful.

May I humbly suggest you try growing your own mint.  It is slightly easier to grow than crabgrass and spreads like mad.  Smells good, too.

[AlohaDawg]

August is right on the money when he says "spreads like mad". Unless you want to spend some time digging up unwanted mint 20 yards away from where you started, may I (Humbly) suggest growing it a container.

I have been down this road before.

It smells awesome, too.

If you grow a lot, try drying it out and steeping it for tea with honey instead of sugar. That's some old-school hot beveragin'!

[AugustWest]

In my experience mint was second only to Kudzu in terms of fecundity.  Then I tried to take advantage of those properties for landscaping purposes.  Mint didn't work as a groundcover the way I wanted it to.

I think mints need full sun.  Give 'em full sun and they eat your groceries and fuck your sister.  Without full sun they'll just have eleven kids and run for city council.

[jough]

Hi JL,

We are a beef, chicken, and pork eating nation.  We do not generally eat lamb or goat here unless we have to (i.e. are starving out in the wilderness or something).

Could your recipe be adjusted to use succulent pork tenderloins, or perhaps some nice beef steak?

[evildunston]

I suppose if you're a philistine, you can substitute pork tenderloin.  But you'll never make it into the "Try New Foods" club that way, mister.   :disgusted: