Grain Mustard Crusted Lamb Rib with Rosemary Demi Glace accompanied by Sweet Potato Latkes with Cinnamon Apple Sauce and Asparagus Bundles

Grain Mustard Crusted Lamb Rib with Rosemary Demi Glace accompanied by Sweet Potato Latkes with Cinnamon Apple Sauce and Asparagus Bundles
Grain Mustard Crusted Lamb

This dish is part of our Passover celebration menu. Since, the traditional biblical sacrifice was a lamb, it makes sense as the center of the plate. We also use Sweet potatoes in the latkes to have a sacrificial yam (bad dad jokes again). We try to stick with the reverence of the occasion and not worship false profits. Although, winter is gone, spring is here. It is time to cast off shoes and ditch the gourd for fair weather foods. What says spring more than asparagus and mustard crusted spring lamb?

You could see Grain Mustard Crusted Lamb Rib in a high end restaurant. But, you can make it at home. It is simple, yet elegant at the same time. If lamb rack is not available, you can use other cuts. I like the rack because it’s uniform and not overly fatty. A Lamb Top round would be nice, but the presentation would be different. lamb loin works too. Although, they tend to not be uniform in size and shape. One end is thicker than the other, making it difficult to cook evenly.

Lamb isn’t everybody’s favorite item. Feel free to swap out beef if you prefer.

If you want to go vegan, you can get a meat substitute. But, the sauce will have to be done differently. Meat based stocks have collagen and proteins that thicken naturally. Vegetable stocks don’t have that natural thickening ability. You can do a mushroom vegetable stock, and follow the same sauce procedures. But, you will need to thicken with cornstarch or arrowroot made into a slurry with a little cool water. The latkes could be made with an egg substitute as well to make it vegan.

Grain Mustrad Crusted Lamb Rib with Rosemary Demi Glace

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 29 minutes
Resting 6 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large Lamb racks Can substitute lamb loins
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup whole grain mustard Substitute Dijon or equivalent if needed.
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and rosemary
  • olive oil for cooking
  • 2 Tbsp chopped shallot
  • 2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary sprigs
  • 2 ounce port wine or red wine
  • 2 Cups lamb and/or beef stock See note below
  • Potato latkes and apple sauce
  • 1 bunch Asparagus (about 20 stems
  • 4 each long chives

Instructions
 

  • Carefully remove the bones from the rack of lamb. Use the bones to make and/or fortify a stock.
  • Lightly salt and pepper the lamb.
  • Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Sear lamb on both sides. When it is nicely browned on both sides, place on a flat baking pan. spread a thin coat of mustard over the top of the lam. Then cover with fresh herbs.
  • Before making the lamb, make the sauce: Saute shallots in a little bit of oil until slightly browned. Add rosemary and wine. Reduce by 1/2.
  • Add in the stock and reduce by half or more. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If you run your finger across the spoon, it will leave a space where your finger went through. That is when you know it is thick enough.
  • Make the asparagus bundles: trim the bottoms of the asparagus and boil in salted water until vibrant green and al dente. Blanch the chives in the same water just until pliable. make bundles of 5 or 6 pieces of asparagus and tie in bundles with the chives. Reheat at service time.
  • Put lamb in a preheated 400 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes. Check temperature with a meat thermometer. It should be around 125 degrees.
  • Allow lamb to sit 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Otherwise it will bleed out and continue to over cook when you cut it.
  • Slice the lamb and serve with a starch and vegetable. For our passover meal, we recommend Sweet Potato Latkes and asparagus bundles. Top with sauce and garnish with fresh herbs.

Notes

We use rack of lamb here because the shape and size of the eye of the meat tends to be consistent all the way through. You could use lamb loin, but they tend to taper toward the ends which makes for an inconsistently cooked product. Plus, the cuts aren’t uniform in shape and size.
Another reason for using the rack is that you can use the bones to make stock. Roast them separately, put in a deep pot with mirepoix vegetables, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf, parsley stems, and water. Lamb stock, generally doesn’t get as thick as beef or veal stock. So, we would recommend using a mixture of stocks when you make the sauce. The lamb stock will add flavor. The beef or veal stock will give body.
Keyword Mustard Crust, lamb, Rosemary, Demi Glace, Sweet Potato, Latke, Apple Sauce, Asparagus, bundles

Sweet Potato latke

cheffd
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Lb sweet potato
  • 1/2 Lb gold or white potato
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1 to 2 cups matzo meal
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 1/4 Lb margarine
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallions
  • 1 Tbsp Maple syrup
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Peel regular and sweet potatoes and shred into a large mixing bowl. I find the best shredder is the attachment for a food processor. If you don't have the attachment, you can hand grate as well.
  • Press the potatoes down and extract any excess liquid.
  • Whisk the eggs and add in. Then add 1 cup matzo meal, the cornstarch, chives or scallions, maple syrup and salt and pepper.
  • melt the margarine and put 1/2 in the potato mix. Reserve the rest for cooking the latkes.
  • Mix the latkes, adding more matzo as needed if it is too wet.
  • Heat the margarine in a saute pan over medium high heat. Scoop latke mix into silver dollar sized balls and press down until flat in the hot pan. Cook about 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. If they are thin enough, they should cook all the way through. If they are a little thicker, you can turn down heat and cook longer or finish them in the oven.
  • Serve hot with home made apple sauce.

Notes

You can make larger for use as a side dish or smaller as an appetizer.
These are intended for Passover. If you are making them at other times of the year you can use flour in addition to or in place of the matzo meal.
If you aren’t serving with meat, you can add a little dairy as well to make them richer. You can also serve with sour cream, creme fraiche, or a Greek yogurt.
I add in corn starch to give a little crispness to them when they fry up. You can skip the corn starch if you don’t have and/or substitute matzo or flour. Or you can use a gluten free flour if you want.
Keyword Swwet potato, latke, side dish, appetizer, apple sauce, kosher

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