Name: Lamb riblet risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Family
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 600 g lamb riblets deboned or lamb flank cut into strips; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 onion chopped; 1 carrot peeled and chopped; 1 celery stalk chopped; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 2 cup lamb stock; 1 tbsp butter or lamb fat; 4 cup lamb stock; 3 cup water; 1 tbsp butter of lamb fat; 1 onion finely chopped; 1 1/2 cup sorghum soaked overnight in hot water; 1 cup white wine; 1 cup pecorino cheese grated; 1 tbsp fresh rosemary; 1/2 tsp nutmeg; salt and black pepper to taste; 1/4 cup fresh mint to garnish

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Ingredients (22)

1 tbsp	olive oil
600 g	lamb riblets — deboned or lamb flank cut into strips
1 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	black pepper
1	onion — chopped
1	carrot — peeled and chopped
1	celery stalk — chopped
2	garlic cloves — crushed
1 sprig	fresh rosemary
2 cup	lamb stock
1 tbsp	butter — or lamb fat

For the risotto

4 cup	lamb stock
3 cup	water
1 tbsp	butter — of lamb fat
1	onion — finely chopped
1 1/2 cup	sorghum — soaked overnight in hot water
1 cup	white wine
1 cup	pecorino cheese — grated
1 tbsp	fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp	nutmeg
	salt and black pepper — to taste
1/4 cup	fresh mint — to garnish

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Method:

Heat a heavy based casserole dish, over high heat and add the olive oil.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper and sear the meat 1-2 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.

Remove the lamb from the dish and place on a plate on the side. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and the rosemary to the casserole dish. Pour over the stock, add the cooked lamb and cover with a lid. Braise over low to medium heat for 1 hour.

Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until it has all cooked away. Fry the meat on both sides until very crispy on the outside. Remove from the dish and place on the side.

Preparing the risotto

Combine the stock and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering.

Add the butter or lamb fat to the casserole dish wherein the lamb was braised.

Using a wooden spoon loosen any bits of the meat, add the onions, and cook until tender and translucent about 3 minutes. Add the sorghum and cook stirring constantly until the grains start to become translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Add the wine and let it get absorbed by the sorghum grains about 2-3 minutes.

Stir 1 cup of hot stock into the sorghum, cook, stirring constantly until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups warm stock, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover simmering for 15 minutes.

Stir once in between.

Uncover stir and add 1/1/2 cups of the stock mixture; cover and simmer 15 minutes more stirring once. Repeat the process of adding the stock, simmering and stirring until all the stock has been used and the sorghum is tender and creamy. This should take about and additional 45 minutes.

Stir in the pecorino and rosemary, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Place the crispy fried lamb on top of the prepared risotto and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Supported by the Red Meat Industry of SA – Recipes and styling by Gerrie du Rand and photos by Michelle Parkin.