Leg of Lamb, Spinach and Mint Sauce

My art is a smoke-blackened empire Athenaeus, Greek scholar c.200 A.D.

My travels to Greece have inspired this recipe. Tried and true - this open fire spit recipe is always a crowd pleaser and is one of my most requested dishes off the grill. The fire-smoke combo flavors the meat while it slowly caramelizes on the spit. Opa, happy Friday!

Leg of Lamb, Spinach and Mint Sauce Recipe

Makes 10-12 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

5-6 pound boneless leg of lamb, split

2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned

8 fresh mint leaves

1 head garlic, peeled

1/2 cup orange juice

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

Place fresh spinach, garlic, and mint leaves in a food processor or blender. 

Blend until leaves are small, add orange juice and vinegars.  Blend one minute or just until all ingredients are well mixed.  Place lamb in a large bowl, pour marinade over the lamb, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days, turning lamb twice a day.

Pre heat grill to high, or oven to 375 degrees.  Remove lamb from marinade, dry the surface of the meat with paper towels and grill or roast 30-40 minutes until the entire surface is nicely brown.  Use caution if grilling to cook on an indirect heat to avoid flare ups.  

Place marinade in a large braising pan and bring up to a rapid boil.  When meat is brown add meat to marinade, cover pan, lower temperature of grill to low or oven to 300 degrees and cook for 2 1/2 hours or until lamb is fork tender.   

When meat is cooked remove to a serving platter and allow to rest for thirty minutes prior to carving.  While meat is resting bring juices in braising pan to a boil and reduce the juices until it is all homogenized. Drizzle juices over sliced lamb and serve.

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Low and Slow Beef Short Ribs

This is a warming, one-pot-dish which is so full of flavor. The key to this fall off the bone, melt in your mouth beef dish is a slow, and low braise. The delicious aroma it creates in the kitchen is an added bonus. Enjoy.

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Low and Slow Beef Short Ribs

Makes four servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

4 pounds Beef short ribs, bone-in

1/4 cup flour, for coating beef short ribs

1 teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/4 sweet white onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup fennel, chopped

1 leek, whites-only cut into one-inch pieces

2 Tablespoons crushed red tomatoes

2 cups full-body red wine

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

fresh ground pepper to taste

- Coat beef ribs with thyme, oregano, rosemary, sea salt, and flour, shaking off any excess. 

- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

- Preheat a heavy gauge oven-proof braising or cast iron skillet on the stovetop to medium-high temperature.

- Add olive oil and sear beef short ribs until well browned, turning only once on each side. Drain any excess oil.

Lower temperature of pot, add garlic, onion, leeks, carrots, and fennel. Cook at medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

- Add tomatoes and cook two minutes, then add red wine, simmer, reduce down by half. Add beef broth and bring the temperature up to a simmer, add short ribs back into the pot. Bring the sauce up to a boil, cover, and place pot in the oven. Cook for 3 hours covered, then uncover for one additional hour, or until meat begins to fall away from the bone.

- When short ribs are fully cooked, allow the meat to cool and "rest" for 30 minutes inside the sauce. Remove meat from the pot. Skim any fat or grease from the top of sauce. Raise the temperature of the sauce to a low boil, reduce the sauce to naturally thicken.

- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. 

Tip:

Cooking short ribs low and slow at 250 degrees F keeps the flavorful juices inside the meat. If really pressed for time cook at 350 degrees, but there will be some loss of flavor as the natural juices boils out of the meat. 

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Lamb Osso Buco with Mousseline Potatoes as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Osso buco is a traditional Milanese dish made with veal shanks, and is just as good or even better when prepared with lamb. Cooking with a low and slow braise is the key to a good tender lamb shank. And, while the lamb slowly cooks you can improve on the osso buco by preparing my Mousseline Potatoes as a side. Both are warm and comforting! 

George Hirsch's Lamb Osso Buco

Lamb Osso Buco with Mousseline Potatoes

Makes four servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Series

4 whole lamb shanks 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup carrots, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

Pinch of fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Click For Mousseline Potatoes Recipe

Preheat large saucepan.  

Add olive oil and brown meat on all sides.  Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and cook until light brown.  

Add vinegar and reduce for two minutes.  Add tomato sauce, broth, rosemary and thyme.  Cover and cook meat for two hours at a gentle simmer. The lamb shanks are fully cooked when the meat becomes flaky and shrinks away from the bone. Add fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Mousseline Potatoes from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Series

Serve the cooked lamb shanks with sauce and vegetables on top of hot, steamy mousseline potatoes. 

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Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

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Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Makes 1 large loaf or 3-4 mini loaves; about 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

8 strips bacon

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ pounds 80 / 20 ground beef; or use combo of pork, veal, or turkey

½ sweet onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 large egg, beaten

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups day old Italian bread or panko pulsed into crumbs

1/2 cup milk or beef broth, add to bread crumbs to soften 

½ teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

* Note all ingredients should be very cold before mixing. 

Cut bacon strips in half crosswise and coat with 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. In a large sauté pan, blanch (partially cook) the sugared bacon for 2 minutes to render some excess fat. Do not overcook.

Heat grill to medium heat or an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking loaf pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly oil the parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Line the inside of the loaf pan/s with blanched bacon; bacon slices should hang over the top of the loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, celery, garlic, milk-soaked breadcrumbs, egg, basil, oregano, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are blended together, but do not over mix. Divide the mixture into 1 large or 4 mini loaf pans. Press the meat mixture into the prepared parchment paper-lined and bacon baking pans, removing any air pockets.

Fold the bacon slices over the top of the meat to seal in the meat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake until meatloaf is firm, about 1 hour for the large loaf or 35 minutes for mini loaves. Remove loaf pans from grill or oven and cool completely. 

Pre heat grill to high heat or oven to 400 degrees F. 

Unmold meatloaf from loaf pans, and place on a hot grill or on a roasting pan if using the oven. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or 10 minutes in the oven until meatloaf is hot and bacon is crispy. Remove from grill / or oven and serve with a mushroom pan gravy or barbeque sauce. 

George Hirsch's Mushroom Sauce

Makes 4 Servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped fine, 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced, ½ cup white button mushrooms, 1/2 cup Portobello mushrooms, grilled and sliced, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, Pinch nutmeg, 1 cup beef broth, or beef au jus, 1/4 cup dry white or red wine 

Preheat a large sauté pan to a high on side burner or gill top. Add olive oil and onions and sauté for one minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are light brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and broth, simmer for 2 minutes. Serve sauce over top Double Grilled Meatloaf.

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Lamb Shanks with Mousseline Potatoes as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Lá Fhéile Pádraig That's Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day or St. Paddy's. It's one of those days of the year where we all wear green, feel a wee bit Irish and spread good cheer. In honor of next week's holiday; Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. Sláinte! That's, a pint of Guinness please and cheers!

Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. Sláinte!

Lamb Shanks with Mousseline Potatoes as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Makes four servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

4 whole lamb shanks

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup carrots, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup celery, chopped

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

Preheat large saucepan. Add olive oil and brown meat on all sides.  Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and cook until light brown.  

Add vinegar and reduce for two minutes.  Add tomato sauce, broth, rosemary and thyme.  Cover and cook meat for two hours at a gentle simmer.  

The lamb shanks are fully cooked when the meat becomes flaky and shrinks away from the bone. Add peas to the lamb shanks and vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes longer.  

Serve the cooked Lamb Shanks with sauce and vegetables on top of hot, steamy Mousseline Potatoes.