Recipe: Broiled Lamb Chops with Fresh Herbs

I concocted a recipe for broiled lamb chops the other night. It was wonderfully fresh for a summer night - but I did heat up the kitchen quite a bit with the broiler. When I pulled the packs of Deck Family lamb chops out of the freezer, I pulled a pack of goat chops too on accident. I cooked them both up anyway and found out that 1) this recipe works well with Lamb or Goat, and 2) a side-by-side comparison of the two meats was really interesting. The Lamb is super tender and rich, the goat is somewhat tougher but has a more complex flavor.

The measurement of the garlic is best determined by the cook. Our family loves garlic, so I put in the full 6 cloves. However, because of the way the herbs crisp during the broil, the garlic retains almost all of its fresh spice. One option would be to lightly saute the garlic before mixing it with the oregano, another would be to use less garlic. Also, because of the final broiling step, I'm not sure that this could transfer to the grill, but possibly someone with more grilling expertiese could figure it out.


Broiled Lamb Chops with Fresh Herbs

8 Lamb (and/or Goat) chops
Worchestershire sauce
Fresh squeezed lime juice
Salt & Pepper
2-6 cloves of garlic
3-4 tbl. fresh oregano

Defrost the chops and sprinkle them with the lime and Worchestershire sauce - I didn't measure this, but just made sure that each chop had a drizzle. Marinate at least 45 minutes, flipping them over and redistributing the juice about halfway through.

Heat your broiler for at least 5 minutes. Mince the garlic and the oregano and combine, setting aside for now. Spread the chops on the broiling pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Flip over and sprinkle salt and pepper on the second side.

Broil, close to the heat, until the meat browns and the fat begins to carmelize. Remove from the oven and turn over. Spread the garlic-oregano over each chop evenly and broil again for 5-7 minutes. Fully cooked (medium-rare) lamb or goat chops should register an internal temperature of 145F.

We served this with cous-cous, salad, and roasted sweet potatoes. Super tasty and super easy - my favorite kind of cooking.

Recipe: Goat Ribs with Greek Potatoes

Not everyone eats goat, which is a shame. Goat is darn tasty and good for you. It's also the most eaten meat on the planet. I've found that if I am doing any ethnic cooking, I can substitute goat for beef...and suddenly the spice blends synthesize with the meat flavors in really wonderful ways.

The other night, having failed to locate my lamb chops, I improvised with the goat ribs I did find. If you can't find pastured goat in your area, try this with pastured lamb instead.

Bonus: There were some leftovers. I cut the meat off the bones and mixed the warmed meat & potatoes with scrambled eggs for a wonderful breakfast!

Goat Ribs with Greek Potatoes

Goat Riblets (about 2 pounds)
4-6 firm potatoes (red or yellow are best)
Butter or olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbl. oregano
Salt & pepper
1 cup crumbled feta
1 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half

Chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch slices, and toss with butter/oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt & pepper. Spread in a large baking dish. Reserve a little if the herbs and juice.

Rub salt, pepper, lemon juice & oregano into the ribs.

Place the ribs on the potatoes and cover. Cook at 350 for about an hour, remove cover and continue to cook for anouther 15 minutes. Remove ribs, let stand.

Toss potatoes with halved kalamatas and feta. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve with a spinach or Greek salad. Enjoy licking your fingers and gnawing the ribs.

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Note: I got my riblet from the whole goat I bought from Deck Family Farm last fall. If you are looking for this cut, you should contact the farm (or your favorite purveyor of pastured goat if you aren't in the Willamette Valley) and see what they have. You could substitute chops or a roast, but cooking times would have to be adjusted.

Recipe: Biscuits and Gravy with Goat Breakfast Sausage

I am blessed to work for a local meat farm. The meat we raise and sell is mostly organic, pastured, free of chemicals, hormones, anitbiotics, and other nasties. The animals are happy and appreciated. And my understanding of different types and cuts of meats has expanded quite a bit in the 2 1/2 years I have worked for Deck Family Farm.

For example, prior to working for the Decks, I probably wouldn't have voluntarily eaten goat. But as long as I am trying to sell meats to people, I need to know what those meats are like. And it turns out that goat is one of our family favorites. A little more meaty than chicken, not as heavy as beef or pork, and packed with good flavors.

I was so excited to see that we developed a breakfast sausage over the winter and couldn't wait to try it out. This past weekend I had the opportunity to throw this basic Sausage Gravy together and it turned out really well.

The really important thing here is the addition of the yogurt which balances the goat. Also, goat is not as fatty as pork, so it is important to add the extra olive oil to get enough of a grease/flour rue.

Biscuits and Gravy with Goat Breakfast Sausage

*Biscuits – use your favorite recipe!

1 pack Deck Family Farms Goat Breakfast Sausage (Maple or Pepper)

2 tbl. olive oil

3-4 tbl. flour

2 cups of milk

1 cup yogurt

Salt a pepper to taste

*Optional – onions, garlic, herbs, Tabasco…

Goat sausage makes an excellent breakfast gravy and is lighter on the stomach than a pork-based gravy. The goat sausage needs a little extra something in the basic gravy flavor – provided here by the tartness of the yogurt. Fresh fruit makes the best side dish for this hearty breakfast.

1) Slice the sausages or remove them from their casings. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and cook the sausage over medium heat till done. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. *Here you would add onions or garlic and sauté them with the sausage.

2) Whisk the flour into the remaining fat to form a thickening rue. Work quickly so no lumps form.

3) Still whisking, add the milk to the pan and mix until the rue is smoothly combined. Whisk in the yogurt. If the gravy is already too thick, add a little more milk. If the gravy feels to thin allow it to simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

4) Stir in reserved meat. Salt and pepper to taste.

5) Serve poured over split biscuits.