Lamb Meatballs with Feta Sauce

This is one of my go-to ground lamb recipes—so easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

· 1 pound ground American Lamb

· 1 extra large egg

· 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

·  1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

· 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano

· 1 tablespoon dried parsley

· 1 ounce chopped kalamata olives

· 

Feta Sauce:

· 4 ounces feta

· 1/2 cup plain yogurt

· 1 clove garlic made into a paste

· 1 small lemon, zest and juice

· 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, oregano, parsley, chives)

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and caramelize for 5-10 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly before proceeding with the recipe.

Place lamb, egg, garlic, spices, zest and olives in a bowl. Use a fork to gently combine until the mixture comes together. 

Weigh out 2-ounce portions - You will have 10 meatballs.

Place meatballs on the wire rack of an air fryer and cook at 350F for 8 minutes per batch. If using the oven, cook at the same temperature for the same amount of time. For a medium temperature, the internal temperature of the meatballs should be 160F. Using tongs, carefully remove meatballs from the air fryer and place on a serving platter. Scatter with fresh herbs and serve warm with feta sauce.

 To make the feta sauce:

 Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Keeps in the fridge covered for up to three days.

Lamb Stew

Here in Tennessee we’re starting to see signs of spring already, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to put away my favorite soup and stew recipes til next winter. We generally eat soups or stews once a week all year round. It’s a great way to use those tougher cuts of meat and to stretch your meat. This is my favorite lamb stew recipe and pretty much the only one I use now. What really makes this special is using lamb stock instead of beef stock, the flavor is just incredible! And although I haven’t tried it yet, I think mushrooms would be an excellent addition. This recipe is made in an Instant Pot, but you could easily adapt it to a slow cooker or oven method.

Lamb Stew

1 lb Leatherwood Creek lamb stew meat, 1 inch cubes

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbs flour

2 Tbs olive oil

1 cup carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 cups potatoes, 1 inch cubes

1 bay leaf

1 cup lamb stock or beef stock, plus 1/4 cup

1/2 tsp rosemary

Pat dry the lamb, toss with salt, pepper and 1 Tbs flour. Turn on Instant Pot to saute function, add olive oil, and when hot sear lamb til golden. Set aside. Add garlic, celery, carrot, onion and pepper flakes. Saute til softened. Add tomato paste. Add wine. Add potatoes, lamb, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and lamb stock. Fasten lid. Hit cancel, then hit meat/stew function and adjust time to 40 minutes. When complete hit cancel and release pressure. Remove lid and turn on to saute function. Combine 1 Tbs flour with 1/4 cup lamb stock, add and stir til thickened.

Making Lamb Stock

When you buy a whole lamb from us, you have the option of getting soup bones with your meat. I always encourage our customers to take that option, not only because we want to see all of the animal used, but also because it makes delicious and nutritious stock that is so easy to make.

There is a lot of research out there on the health benefits of homemade stock. It’s full of minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium. If you use enough bones the stock will form a jello-like consistency when chilled. The gelatin in this acts as an aid to digestion. There’s research that suggests stock can benefit people with anemia, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and some types of cancer.

Even if you’re not concerned with the health benefits, make it for the taste! Adding it to your soups, stews and sauces will earn you the reputation of an excellent cook.

Here’s how I make it. Note: I usually cut this recipe in half to better fit in my stockpot.

Lamb Stock

About 7 lb of a variety of bones—meaty bones, marrow bones, neck bones, etc. I will freeze the bone from a roasted leg of lamb until I’m ready to make stock and add that too.

Water to cover by a couple inches or more

1/2 cup vinegar (this helps draw out minerals from the bones)

3 onions coarsely chopped

3 carrots coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks coarsely chopped

Several sprigs of thyme tied together

1 teaspoon green or black peppercorns, crushed

1 bunch parsley

Place marrow bones in stock pot, cover with water and add 1/2 cup vinegar. Let stand 1 hour. Meanwhile, place meaty bones in roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in oven. When well browned add to pot with vegetables and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, remove scum as it comes to the top. Reduce heat and add thyme and peppercorns. Keep at a bare simmer for 12-72 hours and add parsley at the end. Remove bones and strain. Let cool in frig and remove fat that rises to the top (you can feed this to the birds outside). Portion into freezer containers and freeze.

I use this in lamb stews and also any recipe that calls for beef stock.

Grilled Lamb Chops

Our beastly hot and humid summer here in Tennessee doesn’t want to give up. With temperatures still in the mid 90s (but at least lower humidity) my passion for fall soups and stews has been put on hold. It’s just too hot to eat those fall favorites. Instead of heating up the kitchen, we’re still grilling and enjoying dinner on the deck as it cools down in the evening. Lamb chops are quick and easy, requiring very little other than a quick sear on the grill. Here’s my go-to lamb chop recipe.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Oregano and Lemon

(For 4 people)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large handful chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 Leatherwood Creek lamb chops

1 lemon, sliced

Combine the oil, oregano, salt and pepper flakes. Pour over the lamb chops and turn to coat, then add lemon. Marninate at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerate for several hours. Bring to room temperature before grilling. Preheat grill to hot and grill 4 inches or so from heat, allowing 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

5 Health Benefits of Eating Lamb

Have you been wanting to feed your adventurous side by trying lamb?  Or maybe you’re already hooked on it but are wondering if it’s a healthy choice?  The answer is YES!  Read on to learn the health benefits of this nutrient-dense red meat.

1.       Iron.  As a red meat, lamb is an excellent source of iron, providing 12% of the RDA, helping prevent iron-deficiency anemia.

2.       Vitamin B12.  A 3 ounce portion of lamb contains almost half the RDA of vitamin B12, an important vitamin for nervous system health.

3.       Zinc.  Zinc is needed for a healthy immune system, and a serving of lamb contains a whopping 51% of the RDA.

4.       Healthy fats.  Pasture raised lamb is a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which helps aid fat loss, improves muscle mass and is a potential cancer fighter, especially breast cancer.

5.       Protein.  Lamb is a protein powerhouse, containing around 23 grams of protein in a 3 ounce serving.  And this is a complete protein, containing every amino acid, which means our body can use it more efficiently than incomplete proteins to encourage lean muscle mass, the growth and repair of cells, and higher levels of satiety.

On top of all this, lamb is incredibly tasty!  Lamb fits well into a Mediterranean diet, which is one of the world’s healthiest (and most delicious) cuisines.   

Are you ready to  give lamb a try (or eat more of it)?