Lamb Ribs

Lamb Ribs are one of my new favs. After sufficiently destroying 2 attempts at them (one was totally inedible - user error for sure!), I resorted to asking our grower, Justin, how he cooks ribs because he told me that they are a family and guest favorite at his house. Not that you need it or that you are in the same boat as I am, but I thought that maybe there is someone out there who might need some lamb rib help. Here is his reply:

We grill them over an apple wood fire, which gives good smoke flavor. Baste with your sauce and grill until most fat is cooked off and ribs are caramelized. Finish in the oven on low heat, basting with sauce. Keep ribs on an elevated rack while in the oven so the fatty drippings are falling below the ribs (which should be done with most cuts). Cook till totally tender. I basically watch them like a hawk through the process. I start with a hotter fire under them, but try to let the fire go down and just have coals under them with more smoke when on the grill, so that it's not intense heat the whole time. I mainly want the sear and the smoke. The basting is important -pull them off and bast them so they don’t get dry .

So….my first disclaimer is that I am the worst at actually following recipes exactly. Sometimes that comes back to bite me (refer to above failed lamb rib attempts). My second disclaimer is that my photos are not foodie worthy - sorry. With that out of the way, here’s how I cooked them:

I used a homemade Teriyaki sauce (Whole 30 compliant, from this justjessieb.com recipe). I placed the ribs on a broiling pan so that fat drippings would drop below the ribs, brushed with teriyaki sauce, and broiled them for about 10 minutes - until they were carmelized and some fat had burned off (Justin says that is a key element - burning off the fat). Then, I turned them over and broiled for a bit more. I LOVE my industrial stove, but HATE my broiler - watch the ribs carefully - your broiler is probably better than mine and I’d hate for you to burn these. I then turned the heat down to 300 and let the ribs cook for about 45 minutes, basting every little while (how’s that for accuracy?). They were deliciously crispy and tender and I didn't want to share them with anyone else - but I would have felt bad about that, so I did! But, I did manage to eat all the leftovers myself the next day….while everyone else was out of the room! I felt kind of bad, but not bad enough to not do it! There weren’t very many left anyway. I’m now out of ribs….and I’m thinking that maybe I should break open a lamb that’s in the freezer and decide that we need a whole ‘nother lamb (instead of eating the remaining cuts that are left of our lamb that’s already in the freezer first - I know, that’s sort of ridiculous, so I won’t do it, but I want to….exercising self-control).

Teriyaki Sauce - Paleo & Whole 30 Compliant
1/3 cup coconut aminos**

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 T avocado oil

2 t minced garlic

1/2 T Dijon Mustard

1/2 t dried ginger

pinch of red pepper flakes (I omitted because I was out)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring often, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken. Turn the heat off once it reaches desired consistency. MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH AND USE ON EVERYTHING!!! It is awesome. Store in the fridge.

** as far as coconut aminos go, I used to hate these darn things - I am a serious Tamari fan (pretty sure I could drink it…maybe I have, no admission though). Everyone recommends Coconut Secret brand, but…..have you tried Big Tree Farms Coco Aminos?? If not, it is a game changer….get yourself some and thank me. I found it by chance at Costco in San Diego - $8.99 for a really big bottle - and I was excited. Once I tasted it I was addicted. I have looked at Costco in Salt Lake City and Phoenix with no luck….and there’s no way that our Costco in po-dunk no where, Kalispell, MT will have these until about the year 2030 - we are a little behind the times. So, I resorted to buying it at the local health food store for a bottle about the size of a thimble for $5.99. But, desperate times call for desperate measures…..not kidding. Try this stuff - the teriyaki AND the Big Tree Farms Coco Aminos. You can buy the Costco size bottle here on Amazon , but it’s about double the price - but better than the thimble size price (duh on me).