|
2008 July/August Spirit of the Harvest
BUY THIS ISSUE
Churro Lamb, La Posada Style
When John and Patricia Sharpe visited friends in Winslow, Arizona who
were restoring La Posada, one of the grand old railroad hotels of the
Southwest designed by Mary Jane Colter, they fell in love with the
place. John, who is English, had a successful career as an executive
chef/restaurateur in southern California, but missed having time to
actually cook for people. When asked if they would consider opening a
new restaurant at La Posada, the couple was intrigued. They saw it as
an opportunity to spend more time together—and start a new adventure—so
in 2000 they packed up their pots and pans and moved to Winslow.
One of the Sharpes’ first challenges in getting the Turquoise Room up
and running was finding fresh, locally grown produce and meat. Unlike
California, where chefs are supplied by a huge network of organic
farmers, there was not even a small farmer’s market near Winslow. If
John was going to get the foods he needed, he knew it would take
research and a lot of personal effort.
Fortunately, through Slow Food USA, an organization in which he is
active, Sharpe knew Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan, co-founder of Native
Seeds/SEARCH, a nonprofit conservation group, and current director of
the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University
in nearby Flagstaff. Nabhan put Sharpe in touch with members of the
Traditional Native American Farmers Association, and also suggested
that he meet members of the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association, whose
flocks graze on the vast Navajo reservation.
Now, eight years later, with Chef John Sharpe in the kitchen, the
Turquoise Room is considered by many to be the best restaurant in
Arizona. The seasonal produce is all locally grown, and special items
such as giant heirloom squash blossoms, a menu favorite, are picked
fresh each morning in the chef’s own garden. The menu includes dishes
made with traditional Native American foods: tepary beans, acorns,
cholla buds and saguaro cactus syrup from the Tohono O’odham people
near Tucson; miniature heirloom corn and ethereally thin blue piki
bread from the Hopi mesas; and churro lamb from the Navajo.
An opportunity to taste the lamb, which is not yet sold commercially,
draws connoisseurs from near and far. “They say, ‘I’ve never tasted
anything like this.’ It’s absolutely amazing,’” Sharpe says. “Unlike
most commercial breeds, the smaller churros have almost no fat layer,
and the meat is pale, mild, and subtly flavored by the wild herbs and
grasses on which they graze.”
Though you probably won’t be able to buy churro lamb chops to prepare
the recipe that follows, Sharpe suggests that you try to find local
lamb, preferably grass-fed. “This dish epitomizes the use of local
ingredients while preserving the integrity of the flavors by not
over-presenting or over-seasoning the food,” he says. “Both the lamb
and the beans speak well with just a little enhancement from the mint,
garlic, vinegar and oil. Nothing else is needed to show how these
ingredients work.”
Grilled Churro Lamb Chops with Tepary Bean Salsa and Mixed Greens (Serves 4)
8 ounces dried tepary beans*or another heirloom variety, like Anasazi beans
2 teaspoons pressed or minced fresh garlic, divided
1 bay leaf
2 dried ancho chiles, seeded
1 bunch fresh mint, divided
2 medium summer squash, yellow and green
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper
1 fresh poblano chile
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
4 cups mixed summer greens (spring salad mix from the farmer’s market)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
12 small or 8 large lamb chops
Cooking the beans:
Pick over the beans (discarding the bad) and rinse. Soak beans
overnight in cold water, covered. Drain, and place beans, 1 teaspoon
garlic, bay leaf, ancho chiles and 1 sprig of mint in a large saucepan
with ½ gallon cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat
to low, cover and cook beans at a gentle boil until tender, 2 to 6
hours, adding more hot water if needed. (If you live at a high
altitude, you may want to use a pressure cooker to save time.) Cool and
refrigerate beans until needed.
Preparing the salsa:
Halve squash lengthwise and season with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Score the skin of the bell pepper and poblano with a sharp knife and
roll them in the olive oil. Grill squash for 2 to 3 minutes on each
side over medium-hot coals. Grill bell pepper and poblano until the
skins are black. Place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam and
loosen the skins. Peel peppers and cut into 1-inch dice. Cut the squash
into 1-inch pieces.
Chop two sprigs of mint and place them in a small pan with rice vinegar
and the remaining teaspoon of garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5
minutes. Cool and whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Place cooled, drained beans in a bowl and add squash, peppers,
tomatoes, red onion and mint dressing. Toss well. Season with salt and
pepper, and refrigerate until serving time.
Cooking the lamb:
Coat the lamb chops with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill over a high heat for 3 to 6 minutes each side, depending on how
you prefer them to be cooked and the thickness of the chops.
To serve:
While the chops are grilling, lay out four large dinner plates and toss
salad greens with the balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Place a small mound of greens on each plate. Dress the front of the
plate with the bean salsa. When the chops are cooked, arrange them on
the bean salsa and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.
A special thanks to Jay Begay Jr. (Diné) of Tuba City, Arizona for
supplying the churro lamb for this article. For details on the La
Posada Hotel, visit laposada.org.
*Sources for tepary or other heirloom beans:
San Xavier Cooperative Association
520/295-3774 or creyes@sanxaviercoop.org
Tohono O’odham Community Action (TOCA)
520/383-4966 or tocaonline.org
Native Seeds/SEARCH
866/622-5561 or nativeseeds.org
BUY THIS ISSUE
|
