Some of Our Favorite Recipesfor
Naturally-Raised Lamb, Pork, and Chicken
(check our food blog, too, as we post recipes there and there may be
some that don't appear on this page: Good
Food Down on the Farm
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Boned Stuffed Roast Leg of Lamb
1 6-lb. trimmed weight leg of lamb
1 3/4 cups ground smoked ham
2 cups soft, fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1 tsp. sage leaves
3/4 tsp. coarse salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 large clove of garlic, slivered
1 large bay leave, slivered
2 tbs. unsalted butter or margarine
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chablis
Several twists freshly ground black pepper
1. Place leg fat side down on cutting board. Using a
sharp boning knife, cut down into flesh and find the leg bone. Try to
disrupt the meat's form as little as possible and remove the upper leg
bone, leaving in shank bone.
2. In a large bowl, combine ham, bread crumbs, thyme,
sage, salt pepper, parsley, almonds and eggs; mix well. Fill the
opening where bone was with the stuffing mixture. Tie securely with
soft, fine cord in several places to hold stuffed leg together. Tuck
slivers of garlic and bay leaf into meat and stuffing here and there.
3. Place leg, stuffed side up, on rack in shallow
roasting pan. Rub soft butter all over meat. Roast on center rack in
preheated 450° oven for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 325° and continue
roasting, 30 minutes for medium rare.
4. Place roast on a carving board or serving platter.
Place roasting pan with juices on top of range; add white wine and
several twists of freshly ground black pepper, heat to boiling,
stirring to loosen pan juices and drippings. Pour liquid into a sauce
boat and serve with the meat.
5. Allow meat to rest at room temperature about 10
minutes, then carve and serve with a helping of stuffing. Pour a little
of the hot sauce over each serving. Makes 6 - 8 servings.
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Barbecued Lamb Shoulder in Foil
4 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 6 serving pieces and
trimmed of excess fat
1/3 cup flour
1 tbs. cooking oil
6 small onions, peeled
6 small potatoes, peeled
6 small tomatoes
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into large serving pieces
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp each of salt and seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves, crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme or marjoram
Cut aluminum foil into 6 pieces 15 inches square.
Dredge lamb with flour and brown on all sides in oil. Place each piece
on a sheet of foil. To each add 1 onion, 1 potato, 1 tomato, and 1/6 of
eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper. Combine seasonings
and sprinkle over each portion. Wrap each portion and fold over foil to
fasten securely. Place in foil-lined baking plan and cover with more
foil. Cook on top of barbecue coals for 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Or bake
in a preheated moderate oven (350° F). Makes 6 servings.
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Butterflied Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Mustard
and Basil
from Merle Ellis column, "The Butcher", on the
method of barbecueing lamb in Boonville, California)
Butterflied leg of lamb
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Place lamb in pan. Brush with a mixture of olive oil,
dry mustard, garlic, wine, soy sauce, lemon juice, basil, dill, and
parsley. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Remove lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat grill
or prepare coals. Place lamb on greased grill about 4 inches from
coals. Barbecue 7 to 10 minutes on each side for medium rare. Carve
across the grain. Serves approximately 6 to 7 people.
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Roast Rack of Lamb for Four
8-rib rack of lamb, in one piece (about 2 1/4 lbs.)
salt and pepper
1 tbs. butter
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tbs. parsley leaves, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Trim fat from surface of the meat and saw or crack
about 1 inch from the bottom between each rib for ease in carving.
With a knife, gently push down the meat between the
tops of the ribs, leaving about 1 inch of bone exposed.
Line a 13 x 9 x 2 roasting pan with foil. Place the
rack in the roasting pan, lying flat and meat side down; sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Roast on the middle rack of a preheated 500° oven for
about 15 minutes; leave oven control at 500°.
In a small skillet, melt butter. Off heat, stir in
bread crumbs, parsley and garlic. Remove pan from the oven, turn lamb
over and spread the meat side with crumb mixture. Return pan to oven
and roast lamb about 10 minutes longer.
Carve rack of lamb by cutting off each rib at the
table. Or carve rack in the kitchen and arrange on a heated serving
platter. Makes 4 servings.
Note: these directions yield well-done ribs at
end of roast and medium-rare ribs at the center.
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Blackened Leg of Lamb With Mint Sauce
from the"Beyond Parsley" cookbook by The Junior
League of Kansas City, MO)
Leg of Lamb
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, slivered
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
With a sharp instrument (such as an ice pick), punch
small holes randomly in lamb. Insert garlic slivers into holes, leaving
tips showing. Combine remaining ingredients and marinate lamb 6 - 8
hours at least . Bake uncovered in a 300° F oven for 40 minutes per
pound, basting with marinade every 30 minutes. If you prefer lamb less
done, reduce time. Remove garlic slivers and serve with Mint Sauce.
Mint Sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup butter
2 - 3 tablespoons bottled mint jelly
Blend ingredients and cook until warm.
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Spicy Lamb Shanks
4 lamb shanks (or substitute shank roast)
salt & pepper, flour
1 cup water
1 cup cooked prunes, pitted
1 cup cooked dried apricots
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Season meat with salt and pepper, dredge with flour
and place in greased baking dish. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350°
F) until meat is tender, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Combine remaining
ingredients, heat to boiling and simmer about 5 minutes. Drain most of
fat from cooked shanks, add fruit mixture to meat, cover dish and bake
in hot oven (400° F) about 30 minutes. Serves 4.
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Coach Stop Farm Nachos Grande
1 pound ground lamb
small onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules or powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (or to taste)
Corn chips (preferably white)
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole
sour cream
Brown lamb in frying pan, add chopped onions and
sauté; drain excess fat. Add salsa, garlic and coriander and stir over
low heat until mixture is heated through.
While meat is browning, prepare platter or plates with
desired amounts of corn chips covered with grated cheese. When meat
mixture is nearly ready, put platter in 350° F oven for about 10
minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted.
Remove from oven and top with meat mixture, additional
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and any other favorite toppings, such as
green peppers and/or chopped olives.
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Rack of Lamb with Parsley Crust
In my opinion, lamb chops are the best cut of the
lamb, even better than a well-prepared leg of lamb. The rack of lamb is
from the rib and is some of the most tender, flavorful lamb you can
get. Hopefully, you can buy a half or whole lamb from a local producer
and have it in your freezer for about $2.50 per pound; otherwise, be
prepared to pay between $6 and $8 a pound at retail.
2 garlic cloves
salt
2 lamb rib roasts (2 - 3 lbs. each - have butcher cut through at
backbone for easier carving)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (2 slices)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup minced parsley
Heat oven to 375°F. Chop garlic very fine, or press
through garlic press; put in cup and add 1 tsp. salt. Trim excess fat
from roasts, leaving a little to self-baste the meat. Rub garlic/salt
mixture on meat. Place roasts on their rib bones in an open roasting
pan. Insert a meat thermometer between two ribs on one roast, making
sure the tip is not touching bone. Roast about 1 1/4 hours, or until
meat thermometer reaches 140°F (medium rare - about 1/2 hour per
pound), or until desired degree of doneness.
While meat is roasting, mix bread crumbs, mayonnaise, rosemary, pepper,
egg, minced parsley, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and refrigerate. 15
minutes before lamb is done, spread parsley/crumb mixture over the top
of each roast.
When lamb is done, remove to carving board and let stand for 10 minutes
to make carving easier. Slice between ribs when carving and arrange on
a heated serving platter. Add garnish (parsley sprigs, vegetable
rosettes, etc.) if desired. Serves 8.
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Crown Roast of Pork with Cranberry Stuffing
A crown roast always creates a stir at a dinner party,
because they're so seldom seen. Can't imagine why, because they're so
easy.
1 14- to 16-rib pork crown roast (about 7 lbs.)
salt
pepper
2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 small onions, diced
2 cups celery, diced
8 cups bread cubes (about 10 slices)
2 medium cooking apples, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 cup apple juice
1 egg
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
Heat oven to 375°. Sprinkle pork with 1 tsp. salt and
1/4 tsp. pepper. Place roast, rib ends down, on a rack in open roasting
pan, roast for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix well cranberries and sugar and set aside.
In Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, sauté
onions and celery until tender, about 10 minutes.
To celery/onion mixture in skillet, add cranberry mixture , 2 tsp.
salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, bread cubes, and next four ingredients. Toss
well.
Remove roast from oven, turn rib ends up. Fill cavity with the
cran-apple stuffing. Insert meat thermometer between two ribs in
thickest part of meat, careful that end of thermometer does not touch
bone.
Return to oven and continue roasting about 1 1/2 hours, or until
thermometer reaches 170°. If stuffing becomes too brown, cover it with
foil.
Place roast on warm platter and let stand for 15 minutes for easier
carving. Slice betwen ribs to carve, and serve with stuffing.
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Pork Loin with Orange Glaze
The best "white meat" pork is found in the loin, with
very little fat - good news for those of us who like to eat but are
trying to "eat smart."
5 pound boneless pork loin, rolled and tied (not
net-wrapped)
3 cloves garlic, sliced into quarters
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (if fresh, use more)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. pepper
Heat oven to 325°F. Mix salt, thyme, ginger, and
pepper in a cup or bowl. Cut slits in roast and insert a piece of
garlic and a little of the spice mixture in each. Rub any remaining
spice mixture over the roast; insert a meat thermometer into thickest
area of meat. Place in an uncovered roasting pan and roast for
approximately 3 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 170°F. After
pork has roasted 2 hours, baste it frequently with the glaze (see
below). When roast is done, heat remaining glaze and serve with the
pork.
Glaze:
1 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. prepared mustard
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsps. grated orange peel
In a medium saucepan, combine flour, cornstarch, and
sugar. Add orange juice gradually, stirring to prevent lumps, then add
remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat and whisk until smooth and
thick. Baste loin with glaze.
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Fabulous Dry-rubbed Ribs - grill or oven
One Rack of Pork Ribs
Package of Breakfast Sausage seasoning (dry spice mixture - butcher
shops have it) or any pork seasoning you like (generally has some sage
in it)
One Lemon, cut in half
Liberally rub the ribs with the dry seasoning and let
stand for awhile - an hour works well
Place ribs on grill or on baking sheet in the oven.
(When grilling, use a cover - indirect heat grills work best, but if
you use charcoal, avoid flameups if you can.)
Roast with one side up for 20 minutes, turn
Roast with other side up for 20 minutes, turn
Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon over the side you just turned up
(liberally)
Roast for 10 minutes, turn
Squeeze the juice from the other half lemon over the side you just
turned up
Roast for 10 minutes.
Remove and cut between ribs into pieces. Serve hot, but they're great
leftover (cold or warm), too.
May be eaten with barbecue sauce, but for those of you
like me who don't like ribs soaked in red sauce, these are fabulous
just as they are.
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Succulent, Cold, Sugar-Smoked Chicken
This old-fashioned method of smoking meat in a short
time can be done using your own covered barbeque grill. It can be done
on a coal grill, a gas grill which uses lava rocks, or a gas grill
which does not use lava rocks. The subtle smoked flavor is wonderful
and it's simple to prepare. The only caveat is that you need to begin a
few days ahead this is not a last-minute dish. However, the prep time
itself is quite short.
1 whole broiler/fryer
2 T salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Water
Heavy duty aluminum foil or foil pan
Begin 3 days ahead. Remove giblets and neck
from chicken, rinse well in cold water, drain well. Rub salt in cavity
and over outside of bird, place in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap
or a tight lid, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
With sharp knife, cut chicken in half lengthwise. In a
10-12 quart stock pot or dutch oven, place an oven-safe small plate
upside down, cover with an inch of water. Put the chicken in a shallow
bowl or on a plate, skin side up, on top of the inverted saucer. Bring
to a boil on high, then reduce to medium low and steam for 40 minutes.
If you have a food steamer, you can use that instead of the pot and
plates.
Remove chicken and plate from stock pot, drain off all
liquid from the chicken, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare grill. You'll want to achieve a medium to
medium high temperature. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, make a small
tray with a 1//2" rim standing all the way around it. Or, buy a foil
tray such as a broiler pan or heavy cake pan. Evenly spread the dark
brown sugar in this tray. (Note: if you can't find dark brown sugar,
use light brown sugar and add about a tablespoon of molasses to it.)
Place the tray directly on the coals or lava rocks in
your grill, and then place the chicken halves, skin side up, on the
grill rack directly over the pan. Close the lid and the vents of the
grill and smoke the chicken for approximately 20 minutes. As the sugar
in the pan burns, the smoked flavor permeates the chicken.
Remove the chicken halves to a plate, cover and
refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve cold. Cut
chicken into pieces, slices or whatever you wish. Serves four. Although
I've made this with whole chicken, you could easily adapt if your
family prefers only white meat, or you need lots of drumsticks for
kids, and do this with pieces instead. You'd merely have to adjust your
steaming time for the quantity and average size of the pieces you're
steaming, since that is the actual cooking process. You want the
chicken tender, but not falling off the bone. The smoking time would
not need to be varied.
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Herb-Roasted Chicken
This recipe comes from our friend Laurel H. Many
thanks-it's a real winner! I tried Laurel's recipe as is, but used one
of our larger (5 1/2#) chickens. I slightly adjusted the herb combo to
allow for more herb paste, but not extensively. I also was forced to
use dried herbs instead of fresh, since my local market didn't have
fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage. So, I used about a tablespoon of dried
leaves of each of these herbs. It tasted fabulous! So good that I
subsequently tried the same herb paste with a pork roast and with some
lamb shanks. I then skimmed fat from the pan drippings and slightly
thickened it and made a sauce that was wonderful!)
1 3- to 3 1/2 lb. chicken
1 medium lemon
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh parsley, stems reserved
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme, stems reserved
2 tsp. minced fresh sage, stems reserved
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary, stems reserved
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Finely shred the peel from the lemon, avoiding the
bitter white pithy layer. You should have about a little more than 1
tsp. peel. Remove remaining white layer from lemon. Halve lemon. For
herb paste, in a small bowl combine lemon peel, olive oil, garlic,
minced parsley and herbs, salt, and pepper.
Rinse chicken, pat dry. Rub herb paste over chicken.
Place reserved herb stems and lemon halves inside the chicken. Tie
drumsticks to tail. Twist wing tips under back.
Place chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a
shallow roasting pan. Roast in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Carefully
turn the chicken breast side up; roast for 30 - 35 minutes more or til
no longer pink and drumsticks move easily in their sockets.
If using a meat thermometer, insert into the bird
after it has been turned breast-side up. Insert thermometer into the
center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The tip should not touch the
bone. The chicken is done when the thermometer registers 180° - 185°F.
To serve, remove herb stems and lemon from cavity.
Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before
carving. If desired, garnish plates with additional herb sprigs.
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Mediterranean Chicken Salad
(original recipe from Dash)
Friends were coming for lunch yesterday. When we first made the plan
(it's March in Michigan), I thought "a yummy chicken soup from one of
our chickens, along with some homemade French bread, will be just the
ticket!" Then, watching the forecast on Monday, I realize the temp will
be in the 80s on Wednesday (this was a record-setter for our area!),
and that hot soup and warm bread was probably not the way to go. So I
re-visited the menu.
Fortunately, my mom collects recipes for me out of the
paper, and on Sunday I had gotten the March Dash insert. It had a
Mediterranean Chicken Salad recipe than sounded interesting. Of course,
being me, I had to alter it some - partly because there are a couple of
ingredients that I just don't care for (tarragon and olives) and partly
because I didn't have exactly what the recipe asked for, so I
substituted. Served on large leaves pulled off a head of Romaine
lettuce, this was a wonderfully tasty, cool lunch on a hot day, with
some of our home-canned peaches on the side!
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used Balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp dried tarragon (I used some dried "herbs de province")
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (I used the bottled kind, as I'm too Dutch
to waste a whole lemon for half a tablespoon)
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I used yellow, as I don't care for or have
Dijon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (I found myself adding a little more pepper while
eating, so I would likely increase this next time)
1 (3#) rotisserie chicken, diced (I used the breasts from one of our
birds, which I had baked with a citrus blend seasoning on the outside.)
1/2 cup orzo
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, because I prefer
them)
1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (I cut them into halves
or quarters, depending on size)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1. Combine oil, vinegar, tarragon, lemon juice,
mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to blend.
2. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with ¼ cup dressing.
3. Boil orzo in a large pot of salted water until just tender but still
firm to bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool and drain well.
4. Transfer orzo to a large bowl. Stir in remaining dressing and toss
to coat. Add chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. Keep
chilled until lunchtime.
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Parmesan Chicken Noodle Corn Casserole
4 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
4 cups dried noodles (bow tie works well!)
15 oz. corn, frozen or canned
1 can cream style corn
2 cups carrots (fresh or frozen – if frozen, thaw, if fresh, cook ‘til
tender)
Sauce:
3 T butter, melted
1 medium onion, diced (approx.. 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, diced (approx.. ½ cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced sage
1 tablespoon minced thyme
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
2 cups bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cook dried pasta in appropriate amount of water until tender, turn off
heat and let stand. If you’re using frozen corn and/or carrots, you can
drop them in this pot to thaw. I like to let the pasta absorb a little
more liquid before draining. If you drain it immediately, the pasta
will then absorb too much of your sauce while heating and the casserole
will be drier than it should be.
While pasta is cooking, using a 4 quart pot, start the sauce by melting
the butter, then sauté onions and celery until tender; add the minced
garlic and sauté another minute.
Add the flour to this mixture, and stir well; then add milk slowly,
stirring constantly. Bring sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Turn off heat, add herbs, salt and pepper, corn, creamed corn, sour
cream, carrots, chicken broth, Parmesan, chicken and noodles. Mix
until well combined.
Pour casserole mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole pan. In a
bowl, pour the melted butter over the bread crumbs (I use diced bread
crusts from homemade bread) and mix well. Spread the bread crumbs
evenly over the casserole. You can also sprinkle Parmesan cheese over
the top. Cover with foil or a lid and bake at 350 degrees
for 25 minutes or until bubbling, remove the lid and bake another 10
minutes.
Send us your comments, questions, and/or favorite
recipes! Thanks for your interest!
Visit our Farm Home Page to
learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and
naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised
meat! See our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!
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