Cumin Lamb

We decided to make another dish from Lucky Peach Cookbook. This time we tried Cumin Lamb. It like all of the other recipes that we have tried was both excellent and easy. Recommend both the cookbook and this recipe.


Cumin Lamb

Makes 2 to 4 servings

2 Tbl cumin seeds

1 Tbl Sichuan peppercorns

1 Tea kosher salt

½-1 Tea chili flakes

1 lb boneless lamb leg, thinly sliced

2 Tbl neutral oil

2 C thinly sliced white or yellow onions

1 C sliced scallion, whites and greens

1 Tbl sliced garlic

2 Tbl soy sauce

2 TBl Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 C roughly chopped cilantro

1. Toast the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pulse in a spice grinder until broken into pieces, but not finely ground. Mix the spices with the salt and chili flakes.
2. Toss the meat in the spice mixture. making sure every piece gets a good, even dusting of the spices.
3. Heat a very large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the oil. and when it emits wisps of smoke, add the onions and cook, tossing, until translucent around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the onions out of the wok and transfer to a bowl.
4. Add the lamb and any residual spices to the pan. Cook, tossing, until the meat begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions, garlic, soy sauce, and wine, and bring to a brisk simmer. Keep tossing to coat the lamb in the sauce. After 2 to 3 minutes, when the lamb is just cooked through and coated in sauce, return the onions to the pan and toss everything together. Remove from the heat and fold in the cilantro. Serve hot

Cumin and lamb are cozy bedfellows in a number of cuisines, but if they were putting together a scrapbook of their times and travels together, I think they'd choose this Chinese-style preparation as the goldenest of their golden years. It brings together so many old friends—garlic, onions. Sichuan peppercorns, dried red chili—but, like a great reunion episode of a sitcom, nobody lingers too long or tries to steal the spotlight.