Don’t you just hate realizing you have on an outfit just like someone else? Well, I’m the same way with my cooking. I simply do not possess the “do it just like everyone else always has” gene. I gotta do my own thing; be the ‘black sheep’!
Honestly, my greatest fantasy is to never cook the exact same dish twice. Yes, I realize this doesn’t work in restaurant cuisine. But, I’m at home, so NO RULES!!
Black Sheep Chili features, yeah you know it, lamb! Ground lamb is something I love to experiment with. Years back, I served a lamb burger at my Seattle restaurant, 94 Stewart that got a write up in New York, alongside the burger from Daniel, of four star fame.
You will find ground lamb to have all the flavor you are looking for in ground beef. You know, that tantalizing meaty scent that makes your mouth water? But, when you taste the beef, it simply does not follow thru with the flavor. More then a let down; don’t you feel totally cheated?!?!
Using lamb in a chili is definitely a bold move, though. The slow cooking of the meat with onions, sweet and hot pepper, garlic, and tomatoes will result in an increase to the true earthy lamb flavor. As a burger, the fast sear doesn’t accentuate those qualities like braising does. That said, I chose to play up the spices a little differently. Really, using cumin, cinnamon, coriander and oregano don’t sound like such unusual choices, but changing the ratios of one to another, with lamb and they become a Middle Eastern olfactory bizarre.
Add some of your favorite beans, salt to taste, a titch of sherry vinegar to balance the flavors and top with fresh cilantro and sheep milk feta cheese. Welcome to my world as a well adjusted Black Sheep!
baaaaa-reeeee-goooood.