Equipment
Ingredients
Grilled Lamb Ribs
- 2 lamb ribs
- 2 g garlic powder
- 2 g onion powder
- 2 g chili powder
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 1 g cayenne
- 200 ml water
Chermoula
- 100 g red onion, diced
- 4 garlic, crushed
- 3 g coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
- 1 g cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 3 preserved lemon, chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 30 ml olive oil
- 3 g parsley, chopped
- 3 g cilantro, chopped
- 3 g mint, chopped
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Grilled Potato Salad
- 10 pink fir apple potatoes, par-boiled
- 3 garlic, crushed
- 45 ml olive oil
- 15 ml red wine vinegar
- 100 g greek yogurt
- 30 g tahini
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1309 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 110 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 290 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 41 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 51 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Cholesterol
- 191 mg
- Potassium
- 1356 mg
- Calcium
- 127 mg
- Iron
- 6.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 100 mg
- Phosphorus
- 530 mg
- Zinc
- 7.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 5.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.54 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.57 mg
- Niacin
- 17.7 mg
- Folate
- 80 mcg
- Water
- 360 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Score the fat side of the lamb ribs using a sharp knife.
Rub the spice mixture evenly over all surfaces of the lamb ribs.
Place the ribs in a baking dish and pour 200ml of water into the bottom of the dish.
Cover the baking dish tightly with kitchen foil to prevent steam from escaping.
Roast the ribs in the oven for 80 minutes until tender.
Preheat the grill to high heat while the ribs finish roasting.
Remove the ribs from the oven and slice the racks into individual ribs using a sharp knife.
Grill the individual ribs until the fat is blistered and charred. Ensure internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Combine the onion, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin, chilies, preserved lemon, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs in a food processor.
Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency.
Season the chermoula sauce with salt and black pepper to taste.
Grill the par-boiled potatoes until charred marks appear, roughly 4 minutes per side.
Crush the warm potatoes gently with a fork in a mixing bowl.
Mix the crushed potatoes with garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
Whisk together the Greek yogurt, 50ml of the chermoula, and the tahini in a separate bowl.
Arrange the potatoes on a platter, spoon the yogurt mixture and remaining chermoula over them, and serve with the ribs.
Chef's Notes
- For the lamb ribs, ensure they are at room temperature before seasoning to allow for even cooking and better flavor absorption.
- When making the chermoula, toasting the coriander and cumin seeds before grinding intensifies their aroma and flavor significantly.
- Don't skip the initial roasting step for the lamb ribs; the steam created by the water in the baking dish is crucial for tenderizing the meat before grilling.
- For the potato salad, the 'crushing' step should be gentle to keep some potato texture, rather than pureeing them. This also allows the dressing to coat the pieces better.
- Taste and adjust seasoning for both the chermoula and the potato salad dressing at the very end. Preserved lemon can be quite salty, so add salt cautiously.
Storage
Refrigerator: 72 hours — Store ribs and sauce separately for best texture.
Reheating: Reheat ribs in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Lamb ribs are dry or tough
Cause: The baking dish was not sealed tightly with foil, allowing moisture to escape during roasting.
Fix: Serve with extra chermoula sauce to provide moisture.
Prevention: Ensure the kitchen foil is crimped tightly around the edges of the baking dish.
Potatoes fall apart
Cause: Potatoes were overcooked during the par-boiling stage.
Fix: Continue with the recipe; the salad will have a more mashed texture but flavor will be unaffected.
Prevention: Boil potatoes only until they can be pierced with a knife but still offer resistance.
Cultural Context
Chermoula is a vibrant marinade and sauce originating from North Africa, particularly Morocco. It's a staple in Maghrebi cuisine, used to flavor seafood, poultry, and meats with its aromatic blend of herbs, spices, and preserved lemon. This dish showcases how traditional North African flavors can be applied to hearty lamb ribs for a robust and flavorful meal.
