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For the grilled lamb:

• 4 lamb chops
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T garam masala
• 1 T cayanne pepper
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup red wine

For the risotto:

• 3 links lamb merguez sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped leaks (about 2 small leeks)
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated young sheep’s milk cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 3 T chopped lemon thyme

Lamb marinade: Saute garlic in olive oil with tomato paste and garam masala until garlic is slightly soft.  Add rosemary, soy sauce, and wine and bring to a boil.  Remove from hear, place in a large bowl or shallow baking dish and cool.  Once cool, add lamb and refrigerate for at least a couple hours.

Because the timing can get tricky with both grilling lamb and cooking risotto, I start by cooking the risotto until it’s about 3/4 finished, turn the heat off, and then grill the meat until its about 3/4 finished.  Then finish the lamb in the oven on very low heat while cooking the risotto.

For the risotto, saute sausage over med-high heat until browned.  Remove.  Add onion and saute until transparent.  Add garlic and leeks and cook for a minute or two over lower heat.  Add rice and cook for a few minutes to toast slightly.  Add wine and cook until rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add stock 1/2 cup at a time and stir constantly until the rice is al dente.  Fold in the cheese and garnish with chives and thyme.

For the lamb chops, grill over direct heat until a nice crust forms.  Move to indirect heat and cook until medium-rare.

• 5-7 fresh tomatillos, depending on the size
• 1 poblano pepper (for mild)
• 2 jalapeno peppers (add for medium)
• 2 serrano peppers (add for hot)
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, skins removed
• 1 tsp cumin
• ~1/4 cup cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 or 2 tsp honey

Preheat oven broiler or grill on high heat.

Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse,  cut into quarters, and remove core.  Quarter and remove stems and seeds from peppers.

Toss tomatillos and peppers in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place in roasting pan (or tin foil will work if using grill).  Roast until charred, flip and roast until the other side is charred (see below).  It’s important to keep a careful eye on them, as they will cook very fast.  Set side to cool.

Saute onion over med heat until transparent.  Lower heat and cook garlic cloves until soft.

Add tomatillo mixture (with all juices), onion mixture, and all other ingredients to a large bowl and refrigerate for an an hour or two.

To finish, either chop everything up by hand or mix with a food processor or blender, depending on the consistency you’re looking for.

Very important to taste for additional seasoning at this point: salt & pepper, cumin for more “Mexican” flavor, lime for more citrus/acid flavor, chopped pepper for more spice, etc.

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• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup Mexican Chipotle Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 3/4 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 4 brioche buns (we found decent ones on Fresh Direct)

Strip the chicken of all meat and shred, leaving some decent sized chunks (see above).  You won’t need all of it, so reserve the breast meat for  another use.

Mix shredded chicken, chipotle sauce and BBQ sauce in a medium pot over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Toast buns under oven broiler.  Add chicken and cheese to buns and place under broiler again until the cheese is melted and buns are fully toasted.

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