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dark mocha lamb

Lamb

Dark Mocha Lamb

We've been living back and forth between France and the United States for the past 4 years. When back in the US, even though I’m theoretically a great fan of local products, I just can’t help myself. I keep buying French wine, much as it pains me to cough up $15 for a vin de pays. But my palate is so tuned to the restraint and structure of French wine now that everything else tastes over the top. So I had a nice bottle of French wine, and I wanted to make a dish to complement it. I tasted a small sip, hastily decanted it and came back again in an hour, tasted again, mmm, coffee, pepper, chocolate. Et voilà, Dark Mocha Lamb was born.

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 8 small lamb sirloin steaks
  • herb blend: thyme and bay leaf, ground together roughly and mixed with coarse salt**
  • coarsely ground black pepper
  • coarsely ground pink pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee (I recommend a good decaf)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
  • 2 squares very dark chocolate (like Lindt 90% Supreme Dark)

Directions

  • **Make the herb blend. Make lots, you’ll be wanting to use this on everything. Start with a ratio of 2 T dried thyme to one small bay leaf, and adjust to your taste. Grind together in a mortar and pestle if you have one, if not, use a mini-processor and be careful not to grind too finely. Mix the ground herbs with an equal amount of coarse salt.
  • Sprinkle the lamb on both sides with the herb blend and plenty of both peppers. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and brown the steaks on both sides over high heat, a minute or two per side, until nicely browned. Remove the meat from the pan and place in a heavy, oiled roasting pan. Spread the mustard over the top surfaces of the lamb steaks.
  • Add the coffee to the hot skillet, stirring and scraping vigorously to deglaze. Lower the heat, add the rum, the cream, and the chocolate, stirring constantly to obtain a smooth sauce. Let the sauce reduce for several minutes until it’s as thick as heavy cream. Taste for salt. Spoon the sauce over the lamb. You can prepare the recipe to this point an hour or so ahead, and just let it rest at room temperature, which makes it really nice for a dinner party.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the lamb for 8-10 minutes, until it reaches 120° on a meat thermometer for a beautifully rare steak. Spoon the pan juices over the meat and serve with new potatoes and spring vegetables.

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