Lamb Crossbone With Smoked Barley

4 from 1 ratings

What's a crossbone, you ask? It's the double porterhouse version of a lamb — the saddle of the animal that essentially gives you every cut you'd order separately. This recipe makes bacon with the lamb, and serves it with a light watercress salad and flavorful smoked barley. Want more from David Burke? Check out his weekly column on The Daily Meal.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

two 16-ounce lamb crossbones
one 1-pound bag barley
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch rosemary
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grilling
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 clove garlic, minced
2 cup white wine
4 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
20 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cup mixed green and red watercress
lemon juice and olive oil, for the dressing

Directions

Heat a indoor or outdoor grill to medium high and grease the grates with a little bit of olive oil. Season the lamb crossbones with salt and pepper to taste, and grill for 7 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until they have reached your desired doneness.
Meanwhile, smoke the bag of barley over wood chips mixed with the thyme and rosemary, about 20 minutes. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the shallots and garlic. Add the barley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toast until golden brown. Next, add the wine and cook until it reduces, stirring well. Slowly add your stock, a ladleful at a time, until the barley has absorbed all of the liquid and is cooked through (similar to how you would make risotto). Check your seasonings while you are cooking the barley. Add the sage, mascarpone, and Parmesan cheese last and set aside until ready to serve.
Dress the watercress with lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. On a plate, add a spoonful of the barley, then top with a crossbone. Garnish with 1 cup of the watercress salad.