California Lamb and Goat Cheese Sliders

Ingredients
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 pounds boneless California lamb sirloin roast
8 small* ciabatta or crusty rolls
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup fresh arugula
4 ounces goat cheese
Preparation
Measure seasonings into a small bowl and mix well; set aside. Cut roast into strips about 1/2-inch thick and about 2 inches long. Stir in seasonings; let stand a few minutes. Wrap rolls in foil and place in oven at 300˚F to warm.
Meanwhile, heat large heavy pan on high until very hot; remove from heat and spray with cooking spray. Add meat strips. Return to heat; cook and stir, adding cooking spray as needed, until meat is almost done, about 5 minutes.
To serve, split buns and butter bottom parts. Divide and arrange arugula on top of buttered bottoms. Divide and layer pieces of lamb on top; sprinkle with goat cheese and replace top of buns. Serve warm.
Note: 
Will fill 4 medium rolls if small slider rolls are not available.
Serves 4

 http://www.californialamb.com/Recipes/recipes/califlambandgoatcheesesliders.html

Pomegranate-Grilled Lamb Chops

Serve piping hot with pomegranate seeds and mint leaves for garnish accompanied by a green salad and a luscious tiramisu for dessert.


1 cup fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 black peppercorns, crushed

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
4 double-thick California lamb loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds; for garnish
Mint leaves; for garnish

1. Combine pomegranate juice, garlic, peppercorns and chopped mint in non-reactive bowl; mix well. Add chops and turn several times to coat well. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Remove chops from marinade; drain and set aside. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
3. Brush chops with reduced marinade and oil.
4. Broil or grill chops about 3 inches from heat, brushing once or twice with marinade. Cook to preferred doneness, about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium and 9 to 10 minutes for well done.

Makes 4 servings.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Sheep Commission.

Orange-Tamari-Honey Lamb

Orange-Tamari-Honey Lamb

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons tamari
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch gingerroot, peeled and cut 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 pounds leg of lamb, visible fat removed

1. Combine orange juice, honey, tamari, rosemary, oregano, garlic and ginger in a nonmetal dish or 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add lamb and turn to coat both sides. Cover or seal and refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning lamb at least once.
2. Preheat grill. Spray grill rack with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Place lamb over hot coals, reserving marinade. Sear lamb for 1 minute on each side. Cover grill and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 150°F (65°C) for medium-rare or 160°F (70°C) for medium, turning lamb every 8 minutes and brushing with reserved marinade the last 6 minutes of cooking time. Allow lamb to sit for 5 minutes before carving it into thin slices.

Makes 6 servings.
Note: If tamari is unavailable, substitute soy sauce.
Recipe is the property of Nestlé® and Meals.com, used with permission.

California Lamb Ribs with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

California Lamb Ribs with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

4 to 6 pounds California lamb ribs

Water

1 1/4 cups balsamic vinegar (red), divided

3/4 cup olive oil

Salt, as needed

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary

1/4 cup honey

1. Braise ribs in water for about 1 1/2 hours; drain and pat dry. Whisk together 3/4-cup vinegar and olive oil; brush over all sides of ribs. Season with salt. Rub both sides of ribs with garlic and rosemary. Cover tightly; marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or up to 24. Thoroughly mix remaining 1/2 cup vinegar with honey; reserve.
2. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Arrange ribs on rack and grill until tender and cooked through, turning occasionally; about 30 to 35 minutes. Brush each side generously with reserved honey mixture. Continue grilling until ribs are heated through and sauce forms sticky coating, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Cut slabs between bones and serve.
3. To cook in the oven, arrange ribs on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 325°F (160°C) until meat is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. To finish, frequently baste with reserved honey mixture until meat is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 main dish servings.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Sheep Commission.

California Lamb Ribs with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

California Lamb Ribs with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

4 to 6 pounds California lamb ribs

Water

1 1/4 cups balsamic vinegar (red), divided

3/4 cup olive oil

Salt, as needed

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary

1/4 cup honey

1. Braise ribs in water for about 1 1/2 hours; drain and pat dry. Whisk together 3/4-cup vinegar and olive oil; brush over all sides of ribs. Season with salt. Rub both sides of ribs with garlic and rosemary. Cover tightly; marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or up to 24. Thoroughly mix remaining 1/2 cup vinegar with honey; reserve.
2. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Arrange ribs on rack and grill until tender and cooked through, turning occasionally; about 30 to 35 minutes. Brush each side generously with reserved honey mixture. Continue grilling until ribs are heated through and sauce forms sticky coating, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Cut slabs between bones and serve.
3. To cook in the oven, arrange ribs on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 325°F (160°C) until meat is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. To finish, frequently baste with reserved honey mixture until meat is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 main dish servings.
Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Sheep Commission.

Lemon Marinade Recipe

This marinade is great on lamb, chicken and pork.

Ingredients:

• 2 Sunkist® lemons -grated peel and juice
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh, chopped thyme, rosemary or oregano*
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 4 tsp. * or dried herbs

Instructions: (Makes 4 servings)

• Combine all ingredients. This makes enough to coat 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of meat. Put meat and marinade in sealable plastic bag; seal and mix. Place in bag in bowl.
• Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight, if possible, turning bag over occasionally

Citrus Marinated Rack of Lamb Recipe

Rack of lamb infused with the sweetness of Mandarin orange, tang of mustard and the spice of rosemary.

Ingredients:

• 2 racks of lamb -- fully trimmed
• 2 cups Sunkist® freshly squeezed Mandarin orange juice
• ¼ cup yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp. garlic – minced
• ¼ cup rosemary -- chopped
• to taste salt and pepper
• ½ cup Sunkist® pistachio nut kernels -- crushed
• ¼ cup melted butter

Instructions: (Makes 4 servings)

• Place 2 racks of lamb in a large zip-top plastic bag. Combine Sunkist freshly squeezed Mandarin orange juice, yellow mustard, garlic and rosemary and pour over lamb.
• Seal bag and marinate refrigerated overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Set oven rack in upper middle section of oven.
• Remove lamb from marinade and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup; note that the sugar in the Mandarin orange juice will caramelize very quickly, so watch carefully to keep from burning. Cover the rib ends with foil to keep from burning.
• Roast the racks of lamb for 10 minutes at 500 degrees to sear.
• Remove the lamb from the oven, and immediately lower temperature to 400 degrees.
• Spread 1/4 cup crushed pistachios on the top fat of each rack, drizzle each rack with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and return to oven.
• Roast for another 20 minutes for rare - temperature should register 125 degrees on meat thermometer - or until desired doneness.
• Let meat sit for 5 minutes before carving into individual chops.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

Per Serving: 717 Calories; 56g Fat (70.7%calories from fat); 44g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 189mg Cholesterol; 417mg Sodium