This recipe comes to us from a customer in Morningside Hights.

Ingredient
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I imagine olive would be best, it’s what I used)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons pure chile powder (preferably ancho)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 to 3 1/4 lb lamb riblets or two racks
1/2 cup orange marmalade (not bitter) (I didnt have so used peach and apricot jams)
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

Marinate and cook ribs:
Stir together oil, garlic, chile powder, cumin, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Pat lamb dry and rub all over with spice mixture. Transfer lamb to a large sealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Marinate lamb, chilled, at least 8 hours
Bring lamb to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Transfer lamb to a 17- by 12-inch heavy shallow baking pan and cover pan tightly with foil, then bake 1 1/4 hours.

Meanwhile, stir together marmalade, vinegar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Discard foil from lamb and carefully pour off and discard fat from pan. Brush lamb with some of marmalade glaze and roast, basting every 10 minutes (use all of glaze) and turning racks over every 20 minutes, until browned and tender, about 1 hour. Cut racks into individual ribs.

This recipe comes to us from Shahab. Shahab is a loyal Dickson’s customer who’s never met an offal (organ) cut he was afraid of. Lamb testicles, sheep heart, beef liver… You name it, he’ll try to cook it.

What can I say about cooking sheep head that will alleviate fears that I’m nuts, probably nothing but I’ll give it a shot. First, how about that billions of people wouldn’t think it was weird but recognize it as a tasty, common meal. Second, our collective ancestors have been making this meal or something very similar to it for thousands of years. Third, that you have been eating all of these parts your whole life through the consumption of sausage, baloney, and hot dogs. Fourth, variety is the spice of life. Fifth, that we should respect the animals we eat and therefore consume every part of them. And finally, that sheep heads taste good.

I’ve never roasted Sheep heads before so I tried out two different methods and seasoning options.

Both heads are getting roasted in the oven, but I boiled one of them in salted water for 10-15 minutes to see if it made a difference.

It’s hard to go wrong with roasted veggies. I got these at the farmers market that same day. Carrots, Leeks, Squash, and green onions.






One head got seasoned with red vinegar, oregano, garlic, EV olive oil, salt and pepper.
The second head was seasoned with rosemary, garlic, EV olive oil, Salt and Pepper.
They roast by themselves for about an hour at 350.

I added the veggies, seasoned with salt, pepper, EV olive oil, and roasted for another 45 minutes or so.

An adaptation of a vegetarian (yes, its true!) black bean chili recipe from Bon Appetit, September 2004

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 16 oz can black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
• 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
• black pepper
• kosher salt
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• grated monterey jack cheese (optional)
• chopped scallions (optional)
Saute ground beef in skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until browned and just cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, cooked ground beef and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add extra cayenne and chili according to taste.

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions separately.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28-ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf italian parsley
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

(parmigiana reggiano works, too, but is a little less sharp)

In a 6 quart pot, add extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1/2 hour. Finish bolognese with Pecorino Romano. Add salt and pepper, as needed.

Serve hot (over any pasta you like).

Source: Gourmet, December 2007

• 4 pork rib chops (bone-in)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Preheat broiler.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with rosemary, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub mixture all over chops.

Broil chops on a broiler pan about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until just cooked through, approximately 8 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.