Lamb leg steaks from Shepherds Song are great choice for the grill. They can be tricky to cook in a pan as they can curl occasionally and the bone may not want to lay flat, so open fire-cooking is my first choice for them. Here I serve them with one of my favorite serviceberry recipes: a simple pan sauce you can serve with lots of things.
Also called juneberries and saskatoon berries, serviceberries are a berry from a native plant that tastes like an almond crossed with a blueberry are one of my favorites, and although they make a great pie and ice cream, they also make a great sauce for grilled meats. If you don’t have access to serviceberries frozen wild blueberries are available in grocery stores and make a great substitute.
It’s easy to make. You take a couple handfuls of berries and cook them with togel sidney shallots, red wine, a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar, and simmer them until the sauce is rich and has a beautiful color. At the end you stir in a knob of unsalted butter to thicken it, and spoon all of the berries and their juices over the grilled meat.
Cooking the berries and mashing them a bit to break them up.
Simmering the sauce with a little butter to finish.
I serve these with squash or pumpkin shoots. They’re worth searching for if you haven’t tried them. If you don’t have any squash plants growing, just serve them with your favorite wilted greens or some steamed broccoli. If you think squash shoots sound fun, try unripe green squash and pumpkins too-they cook up like zucchini.
Squash shoots make a great vegetable.Chef Alan Bergo, The Forager Chef
This recipe is by James Beard award-winning Chef Alan Bergo, the Forager Chef, author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora. Learn more about Chef Alan and his hunt for mushrooms, wild and obscure foods at foragerchef.com.
Grilled lamb leg steaks with a tangy sauce made from serviceberries or wild blueberries.
Serves 2
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Lamb leg steaks, Serviceberries
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 2People
Calories 234kcal
Cost 20
Equipment
1 Grill
1 Tongs
1 Large skillet or saute pan
Ingredients
Lamb
2lamb leg steaks
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2teaspoonscooking oilsuch as grapeseed
8squash shootsor a mix of shoots and flowers, or your favorite green vegetable
Serviceberry Sauce
1.5cupsfresh serviceberriesdivided (frozen wild blueberries or huckleberries can be substituted)
2Tabespoons demi glaceoptional, you can substitute ½ cup chicken stock and reduce it until saucy in a pinch
2ozfinely diced or chopped shallot
1teaspoonsminced ginger
¼cupdry red wine
1/4cuphomemade vinegar made from berriesyou can substitute red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
2teaspoons maple syrupor a pinch of sugar, to taste
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
Squeeze of fresh lemon juiceto taste
Instructions
Sauce
Heat the shallot, ginger and half of the butter in an 8 inch saute pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add 2 cups of the serviceberries and cook, mashing the berries up with a spoon.
Cook until the berries are hot and have started giving up their juice. Add the red wine, syrup and demi glace and simmer for a few minutes.
Season the sauce to taste with a pinch of salt. The sauce should be hot and juicy, if it looks loose, reduce it a bit and mash the berries up a bit more. Demi-glace helps make an instant sauce, so if you substitute chicken stock your sauce will be a little lighter, it’s fine. Think of this less like lamb steaks with berry sauce and more like steaks with a pile of juicy berries.
Double check the seasoning of the sauce. It should be just barely sweet, with a sour from the vinegar. If you set the pan aside to rest while you prepare the other ingredients and it looks dry, add a splash of water and reheat it gently before serving.
Squash Shoots
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Blanch the squash shoots for 10 seconds, then remove them to a pan with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and cook for a minute or two until they’re tender and taste good to you.
Lamb Steaks
Season the lamb steaks with salt and pepper and allow to rest for an hour or two (and up to overnight for the best flavor). Lightly oil the steaks and cook over a wood fire or on a grill until nicely browned and 140F (medium) in the center. Remove the steaks from the grill to rest for 3-4 minutes before you serve.
Serving
Lay a lamb steak on each of two dinner plates. Divide the sauce evenly between the steaks, piling the berries on top. Arrange the squash shoots next to the steaks, and serve.
Notes
Frozen wild blueberries can be used in place of serviceberries.