Twice -cooked Lamb Ribs with Basil Chimmichurri

So. This is one of those stories that just grow and grow, until you get to the end and think to yourself, “How did I get here?”

A friend of mine very kindly gave me big bunches of basil from his garden (as you can probably guess, this post is just slightly overdue). Rather than just do the usual and make pesto, I thought that I’d try something different, and make a Basil Chimmichurri (recipe to follow).

Basil Chimmichurri

3 bunches Basil
1 bunch Parsley
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Sushi Vinegar
Kochukaru (Korean Chilli Flakes)

Place basil and parsley in a food processor and add enough olive oil to help make it into a slightly runny paste. Then add salt and pepper, vinegar, and kochukaru to taste. It’s meant to be ever so slightly on the tart and salty side, and just remember that the chilli flavour will just get more intense as it sits.

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And you know the problem with having condiments sitting in your fridge? You start wondering what you can have it with. Well, that’s my problem, anyway. No condiment gets left unexplored!

Then I thought, “Maybe a meat dish. What can I make that will go well with the chimmichurri. I know, lamb! I like lamb ribs…I shall go buy ribs”.

And so began the process of wanting to make tender, tasty ribs, and I ended up with…

Twice-cooked lamb ribs
Adapted from Blue Kitchen

1-1.5 kg lamb ribs
1 Head of Garlic
3 small Onions, halved
3 Bay leaves
Sliced garlic for roasting (optional)
Caraway Seeds
Chopped Rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Place the ribs, garlic, onion and bay leaf in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. Skim off any scum.

Remove ribs and lay flat on a baking tray. You can make ahead to this step and leave in the fridge for up to 3 days if you’d like. I kept the cooking liquid as stock, and made risotto with it. And what about the fat off the top? Potatoes my friend, potatoes.

Lightly spray the ribs with oil. There will be more oil to follow from the ribs themselves, so this is just a step to help the herbs and spices stick better.

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced)

Sprinkle the caraway seeds, rosemary, sliced garlic, salt and pepper over the top to taste, then put the ribs in the oven for about 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Rest for 5 minutes, and then serve with the chimmichurri.

And that’s my story about how someone giving me basil became a few meals of rich lamb ribs. I like to see it as a series of delicious events/ 😉