Lamb Marinades

Today I’m going to touch on lamb. All I ever remember of lamb is this: oven roasted, dry, horrible smell and mint jelly. About 4 years ago my brother in law got me into lamb and I fell in love. The cut of lamb I like to use is the kabob. If you have the time and money, feel free to use a full leg. I like the convenience of the kabob and it’s a nice lean cut of meat that takes the marinade very well. Here’s a few marinade that can take your lamb from “meh” to “yummy.”

Marinade 1:
This first one I came up with while staring into my ‘fridge looking for something different to marinate flank steak in. After eating it on steak I knew it would go well with lamb.
1/2-1 cup Merlot
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic (if using jarred garlic, use some of the juices)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
splash worcestershire sauce
splash soy sauce
1 shallot, finely chopped (or red onion if you prefer that)
pinch of dried oregano
Rub your lamb with a 50/50 split of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Whisk the marinade and place it in a freezer bag with the lamb. Massage it well and let it marinate for at least 8 hours (I prefer 24).
Marinade 2:
This is more of a mustard based marinade and provides a nice, crisp zip with the addition of red wine vinegar.
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Rub your lamb with a 50/50 split of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Whisk the marinade and place it in a freezer bag with the lamb. Massage it well and let it marinate for 4-8 hours.
Marinade 3:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of dried ginger
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
dash of soy sauce
handful finely chopped green onion
Rub your lamb with a 50/50 split of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Whisk the marinade and place it in a freezer bag with the lamb. Massage it well and let it marinate for no longer than 2 hours. Anytime you add citrus into the equation things can be tricky. Letting fish and poultry sit in citrus for longer than 2 hours can be bad for the meat. The acids in the citrus will begin to “cook” the meat. Let this sit for anywhere between 1 and 2 hours.