Australian Lamb: Butchery, Cooking & Enjoying

I'm posing with "Loretta," the Australian lamb who was the centerpiece of a butchery demo I recently attended at the Liquid Art House. Such an appealing lady.

I've always been a lover of lamb and have previously ranted about Why Do So Few Americans Eat Lamb? The average American eats less than one pound of lamb a year, down from 4.5 pounds in the early 1960s. Lamb consumption is on the decline and we need to turn it around, to get more Americans consuming this delicious meat. I think that much of the issue revolves around misconceptions about lamb, primarily that people think it is too gamey and also feel it is too difficult to cook. At a Lamb Butchery Demo & Luncheon held at the Liquid Art House and sponsored by True Aussie Lamb, both of these misconceptions were satisfactorily destroyed.

When I first got to the Liquid Art House, I noticed the plastic sheet on the floor, almost thinking I was in an episode of the Sopranos and someone was about to get whacked.  Fortunately, it was just the lamb, which had already been whacked.

Our afternoon began with a butchery demo by Master Butcher Doug Piper of Meat & Livestock Australia. For the last 38 years, Doug has been involved in the butcher trade so he possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience. At age 15, Doug wanted to be a carpenter however there were no jobs available in that field. He had an uncle who was a butcher and Doug then decided to opt for a butcher apprenticeship, and he has never looked back. Doug is also a personable man, down to earth and with a good sense of humor..

Australian lamb, which is mostly grass fed, is lean and low in cholesterol, possessing plenty of vitamins, iron and Omega-3s. Australia has a high standard for animal welfare, so there are few concerns about inhumanely raised meat. Their lamb is vacuum packed for transport to the U.S. and the actual environmental impact of transporting the lamb is minimal. Australian lamb generally has a milder flavor than most U.S. raised lamb, and thus lacks the gaminess which turns off some people. Not all lamb tastes the same and if you worry about a gamey taste, then you should try Australian lamb. The first misconception has been corrected, though there will be more evidence later.

Here is a short video of the initial butchery demo. Throughout the demo, Doug showed his skill, quickly cutting apart the entire lamb, showing the amount of meat that can be derived from a single lamb.

At the end of the demo, there were six plates full of various cuts of lamb, from shanks to chops. Such a thing of beauty. As he placed each cut on a plate, he discussed methods of cooking each cut.

Though some people think Lamb is difficult to cook, it really isn't. In many respects, it can be treated like beef, and prepared in a myriad of ways. The True Aussie Lamb site has plenty of Lamb Recipes as well as an abundance of basic advice and suggestions for Cooking Lamb.  If you can prepare a beef roast or a pork chop, you can prepare lamb. Get over your fear of cooking lamb and realize that it isn't any more difficult than any other meat. The second misconception has been corrected too!

After the butchery demo, we enjoyed a delicious four-course lamb lunch prepared by Chef Rachel Klein and her team. Every single one of these dishes featured lamb which possessed a mild taste, without any off-putting gamey flavors. The courses also showcased several different ways that lamb can be prepared. Our lunch helped show that not all lamb is gamey.

We began with an Australian Lamb Shoulder Taco, with mint relish and ricotta salata. The lamb had been braised for about 32 hours at 200 degrees, which led to extremely tender lamb inside a corn tortilla. The lamb's spices created quite a compelling taste, with a mild touch of mint, and some creaminess from the ricotta. I would have enjoyed devouring several of these for lunch, With a slow cooker, anyone at home could braise a lamb shoulder and make their own tacos at home.

The Spiced Australian Lamb Skewers, with raita, house made pita, and herbs, were like kofte, kind of a minced lamb kebab. It was tender and flavorful, once again possessed of a compelling blend of spices and herbs. This dish would appeal to many people, even those who claim they don't like lamb. And the pita bread was excellent!

The Boneless Eye of Australian Loin, with skordalia, forum vinegar, broccoli rabe, pickled strawberries, Korean chili & goat's milk feta, had been marinated over night and then flashed on the grill. The tender lamb was mild but flavorful, with a savory meatiness. A carnivore's treasure. The skordalia was creamy and tasty, a nice pairing for the lamb.

The Rack of Australian Lamb, with roasted grapes, green olive jam, potato puree, mint & parmesan, was also tender and mild, savory and delicious. No one could accuse this lamb of being too gamey for them. Instead, this is the type of lamb that changes people's minds, which converts them into a lamb lover. I simply wanted more lamb to come to the table, to continue the culinary journey that started with the tacos.

To end our lunch, we were presented a Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse, with creme chantilly, dark cocoa sauce, and candied hazelnuts. I was hoping though they found a way to integrate lamb into the dessert, like candied lamb bacon. Despite that wish, the dessert was rich and smooth, creamy and bursting with chocolate.

Lamb, it should be what's for dinner (or lunch, or brunch).

SENA14: Chilean Sea Bass--Back From The Brink

"I know all the symptoms I can expect to experience. I'm especially looking forward to something called the "munchies" stage. It's where one enjoys bizarre food combinations. I'm thinking of pairing this Chilean sea bass with an aggressive Zinfandel!"
--Dr. Niles Crane on Frasier

Over twenty-five years ago, swordfish stocks were significantly depleted by overfishing and ineffective management. In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and SeaWeb launched the Give Swordfish a Break campaign, calling on consumers not to eat swordfish and restaurants not to serve it. It also pushed for international quotas and the closing of swordfish nurseries in U.S. waters. The campaign was successful and by 2002, it was declared that swordfish had reached 94% of full recovery.

The Chilean Sea Bass, aka the Patagonian Toothfish, saw a similar boycott, and it too has been saved, though I'm not sure that everyone realizes that fact. Currently, Seafood Watch states: "Longline-caught Chilean seabass from the Heard and McDonald Islands, the Falkland Islands and Macquarie Island are a "Best Choice." A number of other longline caught Chilean seabass from South Georgia, Kerguelen Islands, and the Ross Sea are listed as Good Alternative, and that rating includes wild Chilean seabass that is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. The only Avoid on their list is for longline caught from Crozet Islands, Prince Edward and Marion Islands, Chile. The Best Choice and Good Alternative ratings cover about 78% of the global Chilean sea bass catch. So, you can enjoy Chilean Sea Bass once again, which is a great thing as it is such a tasty fish.

The Chilean Sea Bass is more properly known as the Patagonian toothfish, a type of Cod Icefish that inhabits the waters of the Southern Ocean. There is a related species too, the Antarctic Toothfish, which tends to reside in the colder, more southern waters. Back in the U.S. in 1997, a fish wholesaler, Lee Lantz, decided to rename toothfish so that it would sound more appealing to consumers. after considering a number of alternatives, he eventually settled on Chilean Sea Bass and the name took hold all across the country, as well as Canada, though all other countries still refer to it as toothfish. I guess consumers across most of the rest of the world don't have a problem with the term "toothfish."

At the Seafood Expo North America, to learn more about the story of the successful comeback of Toothfish, I met with Martin Excel, the General Manager of Policy and Environment at Austral Fisheries, a large, commercial fishing company, located in Australia, which catches Patagonian Toothfish, among other fish. Martin is also the President of the Coalition for Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO), an organization founded in 2003 hoping to "eliminate IUU fishing for toothfish, and improve sustainability of toothfish stocks." It was a fascinating discussion, and I found Martin to be passionate, knowledgeable and down-to-earth. At his heart, he is a fishermen with a true concern for the preservation of species.

Back in the mid-1990s, Illegal, Unregulated & Unreported (IUU) fishing for toothfish started to be noticed. At its peak in 1997, these pirate fishermen, from over 55 vessels, landed at least 32,000 tons of toothfish. Stocks of toothfish were being significantly depleted, a terrible crisis. Fortunately, the toothfish industry was proactive, pushing to get the fish listed in CITES as an endangered species. Though that didn't occur, it did serve to raise the profile of the problem. In 2002, the National Environment Trust launched the “Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass” campaign calling on consumers and chef to not consume or sell Chilean Sea Bass. In what some might see as unusual, the toothfish industry actually supported this boycott.  

There was then a collaboration of members of fishing industry, conservation groups, scientists, governments, and the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), seeking to save the threatened toothfish. Working hard, they were successful by 2005 in nearly wiping out IUU fishing, and they haven't stopped their efforts to defeat such piracy. It is believed that maybe 4-9 IUU vessels still remain, generally in warmer, and unregulated, waters, and that they might have caught only 2500 tons in 2013. Most of the illegal harvest is small fish, under 7 kg., that are sold to China.

Martin emphasized that this was a resounding success for a partnership of industry fishermen and conservation groups. Far too often these two groups are at odds with each other, criticizing each other and rarely working together, despite often sharing come common beliefs. If these groups truly want to accomplish something, they need to be willing to talk together, to work together for a common goal. The example of the return of the toothfish proves that it can be successful. Maybe other problems in the seafood industry could be resolved as well if both seafood industry and conservation groups were willing to work as one.

The COLTO organization now numbers 38 members and associates, representing about 80% of all toothfish fishermen. They catch over 85% of the total global legal production of toothfish. The Total Allowable Catches for 2013/2014 was almost 24,000 tons. It is also important to note that 70% of the global harvest of toothfish is now MSC certified or in the process of finishing up certification by the end of 2014. About 35%-40% of COLTO toothfish are sold to the U.S., which prefers medium-sized fish, about 8-12 kg. Larger fish are generally sold to China and smaller fish to Japan. COLTO remains committed to ensuring the sustainability of all toothfish fisheries and eliminating the few remaining IUU vessels.

After most of the pirate fishermen were eliminated in 2005, the toothfish industry had to find a way to rebuild their reputation, to inform consumers, chefs, and others that it was okay to once again eat toothfish. The industry itself wouldn't be believed because they had a vested interest in the results. And people have difficulty trusting the government as well. So, they needed to obtain third party accreditation, to get an independent party, like a NGO, to tell consumers that toothfish was once again sustainable. This is working, albeit slowly, and I know plenty of people who still mistakenly believe that piracy is a substantial problem and that all toothfish should be boycotted. The public needs to know thr truth.

During our discussion, Martin raised an intriguing question: "What is the next step beyond sustainability?" As more and more fisheries become sustainable, as it becomes commonplace, then being sustainable no longer really gives a company a significant competitive edge. They will still seek such an edge, so what will be the driving force of the future? What will help differentiate companies from each other? Though Martin and I had no easy answers, it is certainly a question worthy of further thought and discussion.

As a final bit, Martin told me his favorite way to eat toothfish. He likes to pan sear it, skin down, and semi-poach it with a light sauce of some fish stock, onion, garlic and spring onions. Personally, I like my toothfish with a a Sake Miso Glaze.

I'm posing with a replica toothfish cast, created to resemble a 13 kilogram Patagonian Toothfish that was caught in June 2013 from the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, in sub-Antarctic waters around Heard Island and McDonald Islands. They are giving this replica away to an attendee of the Expo, drawing a random name on Tuesday. I'll keep my fingers crossed, hoping I win it.

Wine Riot: Some Food & Wine Treasures

At any large wine tasting, I hope to find at least a handful of treasures, a few new wines which are extremely delicious, good values or especially unique. This past weekend, at the Wine Riot, a grand wine tasting run by the Second Glass, I found several such treasures. I was hoping that there might be some sherry and Saké there, like at their last event, but that was not the case this time.  Many of the same vendors from the last Wine Riot were at this event, so there was much duplication.  But there were still some new vendors, as well as some new wines.  

Prior to the Wine Riot, I had eagerly anticipated checking out the KO Catering and Pies booth, a new food vendor (which is not even open yet) that sells Australian-style meat pies. In the near future, maybe as soon as this week, they will open a store in the Fort Point neighborhood, as well as have a roaming food truck.  They will sell a variety of Australian favorites besides the meat pies.  At the Wine Riot, kind of their public debut, they sold Classic Aussie Meat Pie ($6), Irish Beef Stew Pie ($6), Curried Veggie Pie ($6), and Thai Turkey Sausage Roll ($4). 

I tried the Classic Aussie Meat Pie, which is filled with lean ground beef, cooked with onions and spices in a beef tomato sauce.  They do not provide you a fork or any utensil as you are supposed to eat it as is, just sliding it out of the aluminum tray.  Being careful, I was able to eat it without any utensils, and without making a mess or dropping anything.  I did see a woman having difficulty with her veggie pie, as it seemed to fall apart. I liked the light, flaky pie crust, and the meat was moist and flavorful, spiced well. The amount of sauce was restrained, providing moistness to the meat but not so much that it seeped out of the pie once you bit into it.  It was delicious, and I would recommend them to others.  I will definitely be buying more meat pies as well as checking out some of their other products.

Now on to some wine.  At the last Wine Riot, I had stopped by the Quady Winery table but they were out of their Dry Vermouth, so I moved on.  I had tasted a few of their wines before and had been looking forward to tasting their vermouth.  This time, I was able to taste the vermouth, as well as another exceptional dessert wine. Plus, I had the chance to meet Andrew and Laurel Quady, the husband and wife owners of the winery, which is located in Madera, California.

Quady makes two vermouths ($20 each), an Extra Dry and Sweet, both made with about twenty botanicals.  The Extra Dry is a blend of Colombard and Orange Muscat wines enhanced by botancials made primarily from flowers and leaves, including Angelica, lavender, rose petals, linden and citrus.  The Sweet is blend of Tinta Roriz and Orange Muscat wines enhanced by botanicals made primarily from seeds, barks and roots. Those places are supposed to be where the energy is concentrated in the plants. Andrew said that it was as if they used the "dark side" for the sweet vermouth and the "light side" for the dry.

I initially tasted the dry on its own, and it had a strong herbal taste, which is the style Andrew prefers.  I enjoyed the dry vermouth, though it had a bit of a bitter finish. But it is obviously something you drink with a mixer, and not on its own.  By balancing the bitter finish, you can then enjoy the herbal taste of the vermouth.  I then tasted the Vya Cocktail, which is a 50/50 blend of dry and sweet vermouth and it too had a nice taste, the herbal notes balanced by a bit of sweetness.  The two vermouths are versatile products and could be used in a variety of cocktails. 

But the highlight of this table, and probably the most unique wine at the entire event, was the Quady Deviation ($25/375ml), a blend of Orange Muscat with Damiana and Pelargonium. Damiana, also known as Turnera diffusa, is a shrub native to Mexico, Central America and South America, which has aromatic flowers.  The leaves were traditionally used to make tea which was reputed to have aphrodisiac properties.  The lemon-rose scented Pelargonium, also known as rose Geranium, is native to South Africa.  Both herbs are steeped in the wine for one week and then the wine is aged for a year before release.  It is made to be a dessert or after-dinner drink.

This was a fascinating wine, with some mild sweetness and citrus flavors up front, but ending dry and herbal.  I expected there to be a sweet finish too, so the dryness was quite surprising, and very enjoyable.  Offhand,I can't recall another dessert wine that has such a finish. Its complexity and unique taste made this wine really stand out and it earns my highest recommendation.

At the prior Wine Riot, I recommended a number of wines from 90+ Cellars, and Kevin and Brett made another appearance at the latest Wine Riot, bringing some new wines.  Plus, they conducted a fun blind tasting which let the attendees have some input on what wine will be bottled in the future. There were five wines, marked "A" to "E." and the sample that garnered the most votes will be bottled and sold next season under the Second Glass Wine Riot name.  The samples included a Cava, Alsatian Gewurtztraminer, Italian Montepulciano, Australian Bordeaux-style, and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  My two favorites were the Cava and Gewurtz, both excellent values. We shall see in the near future though which wine won.   

I was also very impressed with one of their new wines, the first in their Collector's Series, a line of higher end wines but still at significant discounts.  Lot 24 is a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Oakville appellation, well famed for Cabernet.  The original wine sells for about $67 a bottle but the 90+ price is only $23.99, a very deep discount.  Only 240 cases of this wine have been bottled by 90+ Cellars. This was an excellent wine, with an alluring and spicy aroma, and a complex, rich taste of black fruits, spice, violets and a bit of smoke.  A compelling value, you will find few Cabernets of this high quality at this low price. Highly recommended!

I was also interested in checking out the hard ciders of Farnum Hill Ciders, located in New Hampshire.  At the recent Chef's Collaborative Summit, I had tasted their Farmhouse cider, and really enjoyed it, especially with pork.  The Farnum Hill "Farmhouse" is a sparkling hard cider, made in a pub style, and is very easy drinking.  It has a prominent fresh apple smell, which also comes out on the taste, and only has a little sweetness.  It is food friendly, goes down easily, and it is something I can drink all day.  The Farnum Hill Extra-Dry Still is dry, with a stronger apple flavor, and is also very easy drinking and food friendly. If you do not want something with bubbles, this would be a very good choice.  A more intriguing brew was the Farnum Hill Kingston Black Cider, which is made from 100% Kingston Black, an English cider apple.  This dry cider has more depth and complexity.  Along with the apple flavors, there are some herbal notes, as well as hints of other fruits. There are all ciders worth checking out.

During the Wine Riot, there are numerous Crash Courses, brief educational seminars on various wine topics.  They are free for all Wine Riot ticketholders, though seating is limited.  They are an interesting way to learn a bit more about different wine topics. 

I attended the "This Taste Like Roadkill, But I Like It" course, led by John Hafferty of Bin Ends, an excellent discount wine store in Braintree. The idea of this course was to taste three exotic wines, to open consumers to the diverse possibilities beyond the usual grapes like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  That is certainly a sentiment I embrace and encourage.  The wines included: 1999 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Crianza "Gravonia" from Spain, 2007 Buscaretto LaCrima Di Moro d'Alba from Italy and 2008 Kanonkop Kadette, a South African blend of Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I really enjoyed the first two, but the third was too vegetal for my tastes.  Though I have liked the Kadette before, so it might just be a vintage issue.

So my journey to the Wine Riot was a fruitful expedition.  If you went to the Wine Riot, what were some of your special discoveries?