Some of Our Favorite Recipesfor Naturally-Raised Lamb, Pork, and Chicken
(check our food blog, too, as we post recipes there and there may be some that don't appear on this page: Good Food Down on the Farm
back to top Boned Stuffed Roast Leg of Lamb 1 6-lb. trimmed weight leg of lamb
1 3/4 cups ground smoked ham
2 cups soft, fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1 tsp. sage leaves
3/4 tsp. coarse salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 large clove of garlic, slivered
1 large bay leave, slivered
2 tbs. unsalted butter or margarine
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chablis
Several twists freshly ground black pepper1. Place leg fat side down on cutting board. Using a sharp boning knife, cut down into flesh and find the leg bone. Try to disrupt the meat's form as little as possible and remove the upper leg bone, leaving in shank bone.
2. In a large bowl, combine ham, bread crumbs, thyme, sage, salt pepper, parsley, almonds and eggs; mix well. Fill the opening where bone was with the stuffing mixture. Tie securely with soft, fine cord in several places to hold stuffed leg together. Tuck slivers of garlic and bay leaf into meat and stuffing here and there.
3. Place leg, stuffed side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Rub soft butter all over meat. Roast on center rack in preheated 450ƒ oven for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 325ƒ and continue roasting, 30 minutes for medium rare.
4. Place roast on a carving board or serving platter. Place roasting pan with juices on top of range; add white wine and several twists of freshly ground black pepper, heat to boiling, stirring to loosen pan juices and drippings. Pour liquid into a sauce boat and serve with the meat.
5. Allow meat to rest at room temperature about 10 minutes, then carve and serve with a helping of stuffing. Pour a little of the hot sauce over each serving. Makes 6 - 8 servings.
Visit our Farm Home Page to learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised meat!
our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!
back to top Barbecued Lamb Shoulder in Foil 4 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 6 serving pieces and trimmed of excess fat
1/3 cup flour
1 tbs. cooking oil
6 small onions, peeled
6 small potatoes, peeled
6 small tomatoes
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into large serving pieces
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp each of salt and seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves, crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme or marjoramCut aluminum foil into 6 pieces 15 inches square. Dredge lamb with flour and brown on all sides in oil. Place each piece on a sheet of foil. To each add 1 onion, 1 potato, 1 tomato, and 1/6 of eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over each portion. Wrap each portion and fold over foil to fasten securely. Place in foil-lined baking plan and cover with more foil. Cook on top of barbecue coals for 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Or bake in a preheated moderate oven (350ƒ F). Makes 6 servings.
back to topButterflied Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Mustard and Basil from Merle Ellis column, "The Butcher", on the method of barbecueing lamb in Boonville, California) Butterflied leg of lamb
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon fresh parsleyPlace lamb in pan. Brush with a mixture of olive oil, dry mustard, garlic, wine, soy sauce, lemon juice, basil, dill, and parsley. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Remove lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat grill or prepare coals. Place lamb on greased grill about 4 inches from coals. Barbecue 7 to 10 minutes on each side for medium rare. Carve across the grain. Serves approximately 6 to 7 people.
back to top Roast Rack of Lamb for Four 8-rib rack of lamb, in one piece (about 2 1/4 lbs.)
salt and pepper
1 tbs. butter
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tbs. parsley leaves, minced
1 clove garlic, mincedTrim fat from surface of the meat and saw or crack about 1 inch from the bottom between each rib for ease in carving.
With a knife, gently push down the meat between the tops of the ribs, leaving about 1 inch of bone exposed.
Line a 13 x 9 x 2 roasting pan with foil. Place the rack in the roasting pan, lying flat and meat side down; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on the middle rack of a preheated 500ƒ oven for about 15 minutes; leave oven control at 500ƒ.
In a small skillet, melt butter. Off heat, stir in bread crumbs, parsley and garlic. Remove pan from the oven, turn lamb over and spread the meat side with crumb mixture. Return pan to oven and roast lamb about 10 minutes longer.
Carve rack of lamb by cutting off each rib at the table. Or carve rack in the kitchen and arrange on a heated serving platter. Makes 4 servings.
Note: these directions yield well-done ribs at end of roast and medium-rare ribs at the center.
Visit our Farm Home Page to learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised meat!
See our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!
back to topBlackened Leg of Lamb With Mint Sauce
from the"Beyond Parsley" cookbook by The Junior League of Kansas City, MO)Leg of Lamb
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, slivered
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepperWith a sharp instrument (such as an ice pick), punch small holes randomly in lamb. Insert garlic slivers into holes, leaving tips showing. Combine remaining ingredients and marinate lamb 6 - 8 hours at least . Bake uncovered in a 300ƒ F oven for 40 minutes per pound, basting with marinade every 30 minutes. If you prefer lamb less done, reduce time. Remove garlic slivers and serve with Mint Sauce.
Mint Sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup butter
2 - 3 tablespoons bottled mint jellyBlend ingredients and cook until warm.
back to top Spicy Lamb Shanks 4 lamb shanks (or substitute shank roast)
salt & pepper, flour
1 cup water
1 cup cooked prunes, pitted
1 cup cooked dried apricots
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon saltSeason meat with salt and pepper, dredge with flour and place in greased baking dish. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350ƒ F) until meat is tender, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Combine remaining ingredients, heat to boiling and simmer about 5 minutes. Drain most of fat from cooked shanks, add fruit mixture to meat, cover dish and bake in hot oven (400ƒ F) about 30 minutes. Serves 4.
back to top Coach Stop Farm Nachos Grande 1 pound ground lamb
small onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules or powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (or to taste)
Corn chips (preferably white)
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole
sour creamBrown lamb in frying pan, add chopped onions and sautÈ; drain excess fat. Add salsa, garlic and coriander and stir over low heat until mixture is heated through.
While meat is browning, prepare platter or plates with desired amounts of corn chips covered with grated cheese. When meat mixture is nearly ready, put platter in 350ƒ F oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted.
Remove from oven and top with meat mixture, additional salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and any other favorite toppings, such as green peppers and/or chopped olives.
Visit our Farm Home Page to learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised meat!
See our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!
back to top Rack of Lamb with Parsley Crust In my opinion, lamb chops are the best cut of the lamb, even better than a well-prepared leg of lamb. The rack of lamb is from the rib and is some of the most tender, flavorful lamb you can get. Hopefully, you can buy a half or whole lamb from a local producer and have it in your freezer for about $2.50 per pound; otherwise, be prepared to pay between $6 and $8 a pound at retail.
2 garlic cloves
salt
2 lamb rib roasts (2 - 3 lbs. each - have butcher cut through at backbone for easier carving)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (2 slices)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup minced parsleyHeat oven to 375ƒF. Chop garlic very fine, or press through garlic press; put in cup and add 1 tsp. salt. Trim excess fat from roasts, leaving a little to self-baste the meat. Rub garlic/salt mixture on meat. Place roasts on their rib bones in an open roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer between two ribs on one roast, making sure the tip is not touching bone. Roast about 1 1/4 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 140ƒF (medium rare - about 1/2 hour per pound), or until desired degree of doneness.
While meat is roasting, mix bread crumbs, mayonnaise, rosemary, pepper, egg, minced parsley, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and refrigerate. 15 minutes before lamb is done, spread parsley/crumb mixture over the top of each roast.
When lamb is done, remove to carving board and let stand for 10 minutes to make carving easier. Slice between ribs when carving and arrange on a heated serving platter. Add garnish (parsley sprigs, vegetable rosettes, etc.) if desired. Serves 8.
back to top Crown Roast of Pork with Cranberry Stuffing A crown roast always creates a stir at a dinner party, because they're so seldom seen. Can't imagine why, because they're so easy.
1 14- to 16-rib pork crown roast (about 7 lbs.)
salt
pepper
2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 small onions, diced
2 cups celery, diced
8 cups bread cubes (about 10 slices)
2 medium cooking apples, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 cup apple juice
1 egg
1 tsp. poultry seasoningHeat oven to 375ƒ. Sprinkle pork with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place roast, rib ends down, on a rack in open roasting pan, roast for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix well cranberries and sugar and set aside. In Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, sautÈ onions and celery until tender, about 10 minutes.
To celery/onion mixture in skillet, add cranberry mixture , 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, bread cubes, and next four ingredients. Toss well.
Remove roast from oven, turn rib ends up. Fill cavity with the cran-apple stuffing. Insert meat thermometer between two ribs in thickest part of meat, careful that end of thermometer does not touch bone.
Return to oven and continue roasting about 1 1/2 hours, or until thermometer reaches 170ƒ. If stuffing becomes too brown, cover it with foil.
Place roast on warm platter and let stand for 15 minutes for easier carving. Slice betwen ribs to carve, and serve with stuffing.
back to top Pork Loin with Orange Glaze The best "white meat" pork is found in the loin, with very little fat - good news for those of us who like to eat but are trying to "eat smart."
5 pound boneless pork loin, rolled and tied (not net-wrapped)
3 cloves garlic, sliced into quarters
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (if fresh, use more)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. pepperHeat oven to 325ƒF. Mix salt, thyme, ginger, and pepper in a cup or bowl. Cut slits in roast and insert a piece of garlic and a little of the spice mixture in each. Rub any remaining spice mixture over the roast; insert a meat thermometer into thickest area of meat. Place in an uncovered roasting pan and roast for approximately 3 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 170ƒF. After pork has roasted 2 hours, baste it frequently with the glaze (see below). When roast is done, heat remaining glaze and serve with the pork.
Glaze:
1 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. prepared mustard
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsps. grated orange peelIn a medium saucepan, combine flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Add orange juice gradually, stirring to prevent lumps, then add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat and whisk until smooth and thick. Baste loin with glaze.
back to top Fabulous Dry-rubbed Ribs - grill or oven One Rack of Pork Ribs
Package of Breakfast Sausage seasoning (dry spice mixture - butcher shops have it) or any pork seasoning you like (generally has some sage in it)
One Lemon, cut in halfLiberally rub the ribs with the dry seasoning and let stand for awhile - an hour works well
Place ribs on grill or on baking sheet in the oven.
(When grilling, use a cover - indirect heat grills work best, but if you use charcoal, avoid flameups if you can.)
Roast with one side up for 20 minutes, turn
Roast with other side up for 20 minutes, turn
Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon over the side you just turned up (liberally)
Roast for 10 minutes, turn
Squeeze the juice from the other half lemon over the side you just turned up
Roast for 10 minutes.
Remove and cut between ribs into pieces. Serve hot, but they're great leftover (cold or warm), too.May be eaten with barbecue sauce, but for those of you like me who don't like ribs soaked in red sauce, these are fabulous just as they are.
Visit our Farm Home Page to learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised meat!
See our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!back to top Succulent, Cold, Sugar-Smoked Chicken This old-fashioned method of smoking meat in a short time can be done using your own covered barbeque grill. It can be done on a coal grill, a gas grill which uses lava rocks, or a gas grill which does not use lava rocks. The subtle smoked flavor is wonderful and it's simple to prepare. The only caveat is that you need to begin a few days ahead ‚ this is not a last-minute dish. However, the prep time itself is quite short.
1 whole broiler/fryer
2 T salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Water
Heavy duty aluminum foil or foil panBegin 3 days ahead. Remove giblets and neck from chicken, rinse well in cold water, drain well. Rub salt in cavity and over outside of bird, place in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
With sharp knife, cut chicken in half lengthwise. In a 10-12 quart stock pot or dutch oven, place an oven-safe small plate upside down, cover with an inch of water. Put the chicken in a shallow bowl or on a plate, skin side up, on top of the inverted saucer. Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium low and steam for 40 minutes. If you have a food steamer, you can use that instead of the pot and plates.
Remove chicken and plate from stock pot, drain off all liquid from the chicken, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare grill. You'll want to achieve a medium to medium high temperature. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, make a small tray with a 1//2" rim standing all the way around it. Or, buy a foil tray such as a broiler pan or heavy cake pan. Evenly spread the dark brown sugar in this tray. (Note: if you can't find dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar and add about a tablespoon of molasses to it.)
Place the tray directly on the coals or lava rocks in your grill, and then place the chicken halves, skin side up, on the grill rack directly over the pan. Close the lid and the vents of the grill and smoke the chicken for approximately 20 minutes. As the sugar in the pan burns, the smoked flavor permeates the chicken.
Remove the chicken halves to a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve cold. Cut chicken into pieces, slices or whatever you wish. Serves four. Although I've made this with whole chicken, you could easily adapt if your family prefers only white meat, or you need lots of drumsticks for kids, and do this with pieces instead. You'd merely have to adjust your steaming time for the quantity and average size of the pieces you're steaming, since that is the actual cooking process. You want the chicken tender, but not falling off the bone. The smoking time would not need to be varied.
back to top Herb-Roasted Chicken This recipe comes from our friend Laurel H. Many thanks-it's a real winner! I tried Laurel's recipe as is, but used one of our larger (5 1/2#) chickens. I slightly adjusted the herb combo to allow for more herb paste, but not extensively. I also was forced to use dried herbs instead of fresh, since my local market didn't have fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage. So, I used about a tablespoon of dried leaves of each of these herbs. It tasted fabulous! So good that I subsequently tried the same herb paste with a pork roast and with some lamb shanks. I then skimmed fat from the pan drippings and slightly thickened it and made a sauce that was wonderful!)
1 3- to 3 1/2 lb. chicken
1 medium lemon
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh parsley, stems reserved
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme, stems reserved
2 tsp. minced fresh sage, stems reserved
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary, stems reserved
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepperFinely shred the peel from the lemon, avoiding the bitter white pithy layer. You should have about a little more than 1 tsp. peel. Remove remaining white layer from lemon. Halve lemon. For herb paste, in a small bowl combine lemon peel, olive oil, garlic, minced parsley and herbs, salt, and pepper.
Rinse chicken, pat dry. Rub herb paste over chicken. Place reserved herb stems and lemon halves inside the chicken. Tie drumsticks to tail. Twist wing tips under back.
Place chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in a 400ƒF oven for 30 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken breast side up; roast for 30 - 35 minutes more or til no longer pink and drumsticks move easily in their sockets.
If using a meat thermometer, insert into the bird after it has been turned breast-side up. Insert thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The tip should not touch the bone. The chicken is done when the thermometer registers 180ƒ - 185ƒF.
To serve, remove herb stems and lemon from cavity. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before carving. If desired, garnish plates with additional herb sprigs.
back to top Mediterranean Chicken Salad
(original recipe from Dash)
Friends were coming for lunch yesterday. When we first made the plan (it's March in Michigan), I thought "a yummy chicken soup from one of our chickens, along with some homemade French bread, will be just the ticket!" Then, watching the forecast on Monday, I realize the temp will be in the 80s on Wednesday (this was a record-setter for our area!), and that hot soup and warm bread was probably not the way to go. So I re-visited the menu.Fortunately, my mom collects recipes for me out of the paper, and on Sunday I had gotten the March Dash insert. It had a Mediterranean Chicken Salad recipe than sounded interesting. Of course, being me, I had to alter it some - partly because there are a couple of ingredients that I just don't care for (tarragon and olives) and partly because I didn't have exactly what the recipe asked for, so I substituted. Served on large leaves pulled off a head of Romaine lettuce, this was a wonderfully tasty, cool lunch on a hot day, with some of our home-canned peaches on the side!
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used Balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp dried tarragon (I used some dried "herbs de province")
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (I used the bottled kind, as I'm too Dutch to waste a whole lemon for half a tablespoon)
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I used yellow, as I don't care for or have Dijon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (I found myself adding a little more pepper while eating, so I would likely increase this next time)
1 (3#) rotisserie chicken, diced (I used the breasts from one of our birds, which I had baked with a citrus blend seasoning on the outside.)
1/2 cup orzo
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, because I prefer them)
1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (I cut them into halves or quarters, depending on size)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1. Combine oil, vinegar, tarragon, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to blend.
2. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with º cup dressing.
3. Boil orzo in a large pot of salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool and drain well.
4. Transfer orzo to a large bowl. Stir in remaining dressing and toss to coat. Add chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. Keep chilled until lunchtime.
back to top
Parmesan Chicken Noodle Corn Casserole
4 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
4 cups dried noodles (bow tie works well!)
15 oz. corn, frozen or canned
1 can cream style corn
2 cups carrots (fresh or frozen – if frozen, thaw, if fresh, cook ‘til tender)
Sauce:
3 T butter, melted
1 medium onion, diced (approx.. 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, diced (approx.. ‡ cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
º cup flour
2 ‡ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced sage
1 tablespoon minced thyme
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
2 cups bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cook dried pasta in appropriate amount of water until tender, turn off heat and let stand. If you’re using frozen corn and/or carrots, you can drop them in this pot to thaw. I like to let the pasta absorb a little more liquid before draining. If you drain it immediately, the pasta will then absorb too much of your sauce while heating and the casserole will be drier than it should be.
While pasta is cooking, using a 4 quart pot, start the sauce by melting the butter, then sautÈ onions and celery until tender; add the minced garlic and sautÈ another minute.
Add the flour to this mixture, and stir well; then add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Bring sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Turn off heat, add herbs, salt and pepper, corn, creamed corn, sour cream, carrots, chicken broth, Parmesan, chicken and noodles. Mix until well combined.
Pour casserole mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole pan. In a bowl, pour the melted butter over the bread crumbs (I use diced bread crusts from homemade bread) and mix well. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the casserole. You can also sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with foil or a lid and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbling, remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes.
Send us your comments, questions, and/or favorite recipes! Thanks for your interest!
Visit our Farm Home Page to learn more about our naturally-raised pork, naturally raised lamb, and naturally-raised chicken, as well as some facts about naturally-raised meat! See our beautiful Percheron Draft Horses!
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