A Pasta Sauce Made Out Of Grilled Lamb

A Pasta Sauce Made Out Of Grilled Lamb

It seems that my neighbors are making progress in flood recovery efforts. By this weekend they got their house emptied out and are concentrating on bleaching fixtures. My street is lined with mountains of ruined possessions. I am a little concerned because some of that ‘mountain’ consists of discarded food and rotting meat from ruined refrigerators and freezers. After a week, it is starting to get ripe.

Dinnertime is still a community event, usually averaging between 12 and 14 people. Saturday, one of my neighbors dropped off about ten pounds of lamb. It consisted of lamb chops and lamb arm steaks. Here is what I did for our dinner

5 large lamb steaks

Cajun seasoning

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

2 cups red wine

2 28 oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Light a charcoal grill with a good layer of charcoal. Grill the lamb steaks so they are charred rare. Cover the grill to keep the coals hot for the lamb chops.

Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and discard the fat. Heat a large braising pan and add just enough olive oil to barely coat the bottom. Add the lamb and stir. Once it is sizzling, add the onion and let that cook until it starts to clarify. Add the garlic and stir. Add the basil and oregano. Let that cook for a couple of minutes and add the red wine. Bring the wine to a boil and let it simmer and reduce by half.

Add the two cans of tomatoes and break them up with a knife and fork. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Rinse the tomato cans with a little more wine and add that to the sauce. Stir in the can of tomato paste until it is dissolved. Let the sauce simmer gently while you put the pasta water on to boil.

Serving

Serve big piles of pasta on each plate and then cover it with the sauce. Place a couple of grilled lamb chops next to the pasta and then add a pile of homemade mac and cheese. Now slice the homemade bread, put out the tray of sliced peppers, carrots and celery as well as a giant bowl of fruit salad. Open several bottles of red wine and ring the dinner bell.