Lamb, beets, and ?

August 28, 2008 10:36 AM

Help me decide on a menu for my boyfriend's birthday dinner. Two requirements: lamb and beets.

I'm making a birthday dinner for my boyfriend next week (just the two of us). I know I want the main course to be lamb and beets incorporated somehow... Help me with the rest!

I have some tried-and-true ways to prepare lamb, but I'd like to mix things up a bit.

In regards to the lamb - I'd like to stay away from lamb chops (not his favorite cut). I'll probably be cooking it on the stove/oven, but I do have a grill available.

Thanks!

posted by LittleLisi to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Maybe not as fancy as you'd like, but very tasty....

Inside-Out Lamb Cheeseburgers
posted by jon1270 at 10:40 AM on August 28, 2008

I found this interesting-looking beet recipe at Epicurious. I would use fresh beets however and grill or roast them.
posted by elendil71 at 11:01 AM on August 28, 2008

I like lamb kebabs marinaded in yogurt and spices (like cumin and coriander).
posted by mmascolino at 11:15 AM on August 28, 2008

I'm not sure how other people cook beets, but I have always cut them in 1/4" slices and boiled them in a mix of sugar water and vinegar. Then chill the beets in the fridge before serving. I highly recommend this recipe for the greens. I cut back on the vinegar when I made it, but it was well tasty.
posted by worstkidever at 11:18 AM on August 28, 2008

Best answer: The best way I've found to serve beets is as a salad. Rub them with some olive oil, salt and pepper, grill or roast them whole, and let them cool off. Then peel them, julienne, and serve chilled or at room temperature with a vinaigrette made from white wine vinegar, chopped shallots, and (the important part) some kind of nut oil. Pistachio or walnut oil are particularly good for this purpose. For best effect, let the beets sit with the dressing on them for a couple of hourse to let the flavours blend. Simple, elegant, and delicious.
posted by Johnny Assay at 11:32 AM on August 28, 2008

Seconding the salad. use your tried-and-true lamb recipe, and make a delicious beet salad on the side!

Are you by any chance Dwight Schrute's girlfriend? :D
posted by Xianny at 11:38 AM on August 28, 2008

In our house we like to serve beets with crumbled goat cheese. It works with boiled or roasted beets, hot or chilled. In a restaurant I once saw this dish made with many varieties of beets -- big, small, red, yellow, etc. It was delicious and pretty, so I guess my recommendation, if you have time, is to seek out some interesting beets!
posted by jillsy_sloper at 11:52 AM on August 28, 2008

Braised lamb (either leg or shoulder roast) in half red wine and half tasty stock (chicken, turkey, beef, veal, veg, whatever) is da bomb.

For beets, I happen to really like either beet-carrot puree sweetened with maple syrup or honey, or beets simply boiled/rosted and sprinkled with goat cheese (chevre) crumbles. Now's a good time, it's right at the end of beet harvest (actually, kind of a week after), so you should be able to get some super-cool beets, like candy-striped beets or golden beets.

A green salad should round this out nicely. Oh, and don't forget the flourless chocolate cake for dessert (aka "sex on a plate").

¡Buen Provecho!

If you want specific instructions/preparations, MFMail me, and I'll hook you up.
posted by Citrus at 12:40 PM on August 28, 2008