September is one of our favorite months to cook.
The days can still feel like summer here in Northern Nevada, but once the sun drops behind the mountains, there’s a little reminder that fall isn’t far away.
And that’s about the time we start thinking about lamb. A lifetime of lamb.
Lamb is one of those meats that works beautifully in both seasons. Throw a couple of garlic-and-rosemary chops on the grill while the evenings are still warm. Make lamb burgers when you want something a little different from the usual backyard burger. Or, when that first cool night finally rolls in, put lamb shanks in the Dutch oven and let them slowly cook until the whole house smells like dinner.
That’s September cooking around here, and we’ve written the book about lamb!
Lamb Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
We hear from people who love lamb when someone else cooks it but aren’t quite sure what to do with it at home.
Our advice? Don’t overthink it.
Lamb loves simple ingredients: garlic, rosemary, lemon, salt and pepper. Ground lamb can go just about anywhere you’d use other ground meats. Chops are terrific on the grill. And the harder-working cuts, like shanks and shoulder, become something pretty special when you give them a few hours and don’t mess with them too much.
That’s one reason we put together our new Carson Valley Meats lamb recipe book, A Lifetime of Lamb: A Compilation of Karin’s Kitchen Drawer Recipes.
It has 12 recipes, and we tried to cover the whole range.
There’s Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Lavender when you want to put something beautiful on the table. Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic when dinner needs to happen without a lot of fuss. Irish Lamb Stew and slow-cooked shanks for the cool nights ahead. And Lamb Burgers with Feta and Harissa Aioli or Skillet Huevos Rancheros with Ground Lamb when you want to try something completely different.
In other words, there’s no rule saying lamb has to be Sunday dinner.
A Good Time to Fill the Freezer
September is also a good time to think ahead.
We’re heading toward the season of soups, stews, roasts and dinners that simmer away while everybody gets on with the rest of the day. Lamb shoulder, shanks and ground lamb were practically made for that kind of cooking.
And right now, we’ve got lamb cuts and lamb shares available, so this is a good opportunity to put some away for fall and winter.
Try a cut you’ve never cooked before. Pick a recipe from the new book. Call us if you’re not sure what to do with it.
That’s part of what we’re here for, because there’s something awfully good about a cool September evening, dinner cooking in the kitchen and knowing exactly where the meat on your table came from.
Good Food. Good People. Good Neighbors.
And maybe a lamb chop or two.
Download your free copy of A Lifetime of Lamb: A Compilation of Karin’s Kitchen Drawer Recipes!