Ok, so here we go again, this is not necessarily a recipe review, "But" wait a minute lets talk Tandoori Lamb!! That's the Recipe used to serve these beautiful lamb chop's! So pretty on the plate very impressive to serve. I serve these chops with my favorite Korma Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. I'll include the Recipe at the end:) Indian spiced Cashew's, Mango Pudding and a Turmeric Tea for Digestion. The best meal going! Largely Plant Based and Dairy free except the Lamb that's where the traditional cooking comes in. "Go big! or "Go home!" right! especially when it comes to meat.
I had an order for 8 people, 2 Chops / per person so I decided the Cheapest option would be to go to Costco. I definitely made the Wrong Choice here! I'm just not big enough to get wholesale. "So" almost $75.00 later and I'm happy with my choice of product. Purchase made at 5:30pm the night before I plan to Marinate this beautiful Rack of Lamb that I will cut into French Cut Lamb Chops. The length of bone is adequate for this desired cut, it was a little thicker and shorter than you would typically want for this style of chop. But, it will do. I did stop at Walmart for about 30 minutes on my way home from Costco. This Lamb was still very cold when it went straight into the fridge for marinating the next day upon arriving home.
10:00 AM the following morning I prepare my work space to Prep and Marinade this Lamb.
I'm ready, I slit the corner of the package pull the bones apart to open it up a little more and to break the vacuum seal then smell the meat exposed as I always do...just apart of my process when prepping my recipes. Also, it's not uncommon for cryovac's to omit a containment smell when opening the package but it will dissipate after a few minutes. OMG!! my nose recoiled from the most foul smell I have ever come across! Never in my life have I smelled anything like this. I have been buying food for 40 years and have never come across anything... like this. My husband was 2 rooms away and as I was approaching him with this rank package he was calling out to me "What is that disgusting stench!" I didn't even get to where he was in the house. I ran to put this package outside... to get it out of my house! This meat was rancid! I mean beyond! I cracked the second package open thankfully it was not of the same condition. "However" I began to panic about animals coming to tear at the lamb outside so I wrapped it in a large garbage bag and put some dryer sheets in it hoping to keep the smell down while I got ready to return it to Costco.
The meat sat in my deep freeze for just over an hour...once I realized the smell was escaping I waited no longer... fearful that my Deep Freeze would be ruined from the stench beginning to permeate the freezer. I was hopping MAD because I knew this was meat fraud. The package was not damaged and the double layer vacuum seal was intact. I was so offended by this package of meat I decided to drive it to our Public Health agency. No one would come out to view what I was carrying. "We are in a Pandemic people"! I asked for a Supervisor and was told there was not one there. I had no choice but to continue on to return this product to Costco. I was on the verge of becoming a "Karen"! haha.
I am telling you right now Costco pumps something in the air to clear out bad smells because this product that was so foul in my house, my car and the thermos I was carrying it in could not tolerate this smell but oddly at the return counter in Costco you couldn't smell it:).
They heard me out, offered to generously reimburse me for the product I purchased the evening before. I wasn't satisfied with just that I wanted someone to truly understand this was not right. Someone cheated me and I wanted them to know that! However, once I could feel her rearing her ugly head I pulled back on my inner Karen and was satisfied that the Assistant Store Manager would have the Meat Manager contact me the following day.
She did she very kindly asked all the right question's and we addressed the possibility that the package was possibly blown by a pin prick, even how long the meat was out of the fridge from the time it left Costco until returning to my fridge. She was very through and considerate in her question's. But I refused to accept these possibilities as this was worse than anything I have ever smelled in my history with food 40years:). She offered to comp me a free package of Lamb for my troubles. I asked if they carried a brand other than the Australian lamb this was. No they don't and I was not willing to take this risk considering the smell that continued to linger in my deep freeze for 9 hours after I removed the meat from my freezer . I was serious when I said I was worried my Deep Freeze was ruined!! However we left it at that as I knew this was going no where.
Thank you kind Meat Manager Lady...I digress it's time to move on! I have 3 Private Chef Ready Meal's to prepare and package. That's 16 meal's in total and it has to be done in 2 day's, time to get more Lamb. Off to the Local farm Lepp's.
Thank goodness they have lamb!! I want this Lamb to be it's best so I need it to marinade 2 day's! I buy all I need as they have a few French cut chops and a couple 4 bone racks. I wish I was more organized in taking pictures of my prep work, I have only been concerned with the outcome of my food. Except when I'm MAD! again I digress...I knew I would have to cut the 2 racks into individual chop's. I really like the extra long bone this was perfect!! The meat was a little fatter than the Australian lamb only in store noticeable difference.
I prepare my meat for the marinade. I begin to cut my racks down toward the cross bone. This is to thick for my knife, I need to use a mallet on the back edge of my knife to break through the bone.
I get out my ingredients for the Tandoori lamb recipe out. I follow this recipe exactly it's perfect to me and my peep's. This is my favorite! "soooo good!" I marinated the 2 lamb purchases Australian vs. Lepp's Local lamb in separate bags.
Delivery day, Grill day...day 2 of marinating...We grilled 1/2 of the Lamb in house and delivered the other for as Grill Ready to be cooked at the clients discretion. 2 to 3 minutes / side. Perfectly medium rare. It literally melts in your mouth. I found when dividing out the portion's the Australian held its form easily the Lepp's was more delicate due to the extra fat and fell apart more readily.
Overall, it was decided based on taste that there was no difference between the 2, it was also decided the quality of the Australian lamb held up better than the Local Lamb although the esthetic of the bone from Lepp's was appealing. I'm glad that one of Costco Kirkland brand (Lallhal(Sp.) farms Australia) held up, funny to me that it was the older date package and I didn't have to drive all over town looking for more Lamb. I knew Lepp's would have exactly what I needed they always do just sometimes it's ridiculously priced because of that but it always has unique needs for esthetics and for wanting to make an impression.
as promised Korma Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:
http://delightfulvegans.com/recipe/korma-stuffed-sweet-potatoes-with-a-garlic-tahini-dressing/
I did try the dressing provided in this recipe but it was not my favorite I didn't understand the connection. I knew the one I make would improve this outcome. Everything else about this recipe is perfectly delicious. I go for a mild heat so I only used 1 tbsp. of red curry paste.
Just so you know I don't use the dressing provided mine is better:) hehe...I do use Roasted Garlic and Tahini I'll let you go from there.
https://www.thermofisher.com/ca/en/home/global/forms/industrial/meat-fraud-webinar.html?cid=oso_fbk_09102020_P9SWKW&fbclid=/WAROyMx8VZR dfOEXtFggfxqzyHDLkEDxS3dNw wuw_tMgpOBLeWx9duAzPWy