Lamb Meatball Sliders with Chimichurri and Crispy Shallots

Adapted from Faith's spiced lamb meatballs and the chimichurri recipe at Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain, Boston

Makes 30 sliders

For the meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 small onions, finely grated
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons ground almonds
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour

For the shallots:
4 shallots, thinly sliced
Canola or vegetable oil

For the chimichurri:
1 small jalapeño pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 anchovies
1 shallot, sliced
1 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley 
1 cup lightly packed cilantro
1 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon oregano
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the buns:
Store-bought sourdough dinner rolls or homemade Parker House rolls

Mix together the beef and lamb until they are well combined. Using your hands or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, stir in the onion, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, chile powder, cilantro, almonds, eggs, and flour.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Divide the meat mixture into 1/4-cup portions and roll into evenly-shaped meatballs. Space evenly on a half-sheet pan and roast the meatballs for 20 minutes or until just barely pink in the middle.

Meanwhile, pour canola or vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches into a 3-quart pot. Heat on medium until the temperature reaches 325°. Place 2 cups worth of shallots into the pot. Stir periodically for 12-15 minutes. When the shallots start to brown, stir more frequently. When they turn golden brown, remove with a straining spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. After they drain, transfer to a second paper towel and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining shallots. (It may take a few batches.)

For the chimichurri, add jalepeño, garlic, anchovies, shallots, parsley, cilantro, chives, and oregano to a food processor. Pour in half the olive oil and the sherry vinegar, then pulse 6 to 7 times. Add the rest of the olive oil, and blend for 1 minute. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the sliders, brush buns with olive oil and toast at 450° for 3 to 5 minutes or till golden brown. Spread a spoonful of chimichurri on the bottom part of the bun, then add a meatball and a tablespoon of crispy shallots. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Make-Ahead Tips:

• Meatball mixture can be made up to 12 hours in advance and refrigerated, or kept frozen, uncooked, for 3 months. To freeze the cooked meatballs, place them on a large baking tray and freeze them for 2 hours or until solid. Then remove them and put them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven until warmed through, turning the oven up to broil at the end for 5 minutes to re-crisp the edges.
• The shallots can also be made up to a week in advance if kept in an airtight container.
• The chimichurri can be made up to 5 days in advance. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Lamb Korma

Serves 6

8 cloves garlic
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless lamb leg, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
3/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Place the garlic, ginger and water in a blender or small food processor and blend into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 225°F and adjust racks to the lower third of the oven. Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy, oven-safe pot over high heat. Working in batches, brown the lamb pieces and set them aside in a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-high, add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, until onions are soft and translucent. Add the spices and salt and toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring frequently, until very fragrant. Add the garlic-ginger paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the water in the paste has boiled away.

Add the lamb pieces and their accumulated juices, the coconut milk and the tomatoes to the pan, and stir to combine. Cover, bring to a boil and place in oven. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until lamb is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Can be served immediately, but for best flavor and texture, refrigerate for 1 or 2 days before serving. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave and serve over rice or a roasted sweet potato.

Recipe Notes

• To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the directions above. After cooking the garlic-ginger paste, scrape the contents of the pot into the slow cooker, and add the lamb and juices, coconut milk and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
• This recipe can be doubled for a larger dinner party without any adjustments.

How To Roast a Leg of Lamb

10 servings, depending on size of the leg

What You Need

Ingredients
5 to 7 pounds lamb leg, bone-in
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic
3 stems fresh rosemary

Equipment
Roasting pan, with rack
Aluminum foil
Sharp chef's knife or carving knife, for carving

Instructions

1. Take the lamb out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking. Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking so it comes to room temperature. This promotes faster, more even cooking.
2. Rub the lamb with olive oil. Set the lamb in a rack inside a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and rub into the fat and meat.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Broil for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and position a rack below so that the top of the meat is a few inches from the broiler element. Broil the lamb for 5 minutes or until the top of the lamb leg looks seared and browned.
5. Flip the lamb over and broil the other side. Flip the lamb over and put back under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the other side is seared.
6. Top with garlic and rosemary. Take the lamb out of the oven. Turn off the broiler and set the oven temperature to 325°F. Reposition the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Mince the garlic and rosemary leaves. Flip the lamb leg over again and rub the top with the chopped garlic and rosemary.
7. Cover the lamb loosely with foil. Tent the pan loosely with foil to keep the garlic and rosemary from burning. Put the lamb back in the oven and cook at 325°F for one hour.
8. Remove the foil after an hour and take the temperature. Take the lamb's temperature and remove the foil. The lamb is ready (medium-rare to medium) when the temperature is 135°F (or above). At 135°F the lamb is cooked to rare, but it will continue cooking as it rests, so we recommend taking it out of the oven at 135° for medium-rare to medium. (Refer to the cooking chart above for general roasting times)
9. If needed, continue cooking the lamb until done. Continue cooking the lamb (uncovered) until it reaches your preferred internal temperature. Check the temperature every 20 minutes until done.
10. Let the leg of lamb rest. Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
11. Carve the lamb: Turn the lamb so the bone is parallel to the cutting board. Make perpendicular slices to the bone, angling straight down until your knife hits the bone.
12. Carve the lamb: Cut the lamb off the bone by slicing through the bottom of the slices with your knife parallel to the bone.

Recipe Notes

• To serve: We highly recommend serving the lamb with this mint pesto.
• To store: Leftover lamb can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• Freezing tip: Jamie recommends freezing leftover rare to medium-rare lamb in slices wrapped in foil. Then, to warm them, she puts the frozen slices, still wrapped, in a 350°F oven. This will warm them and not overcook them.