Lamb Terrine

Chef Jeremy Barlow. Photo: The American Lamb Board

From: Chef Jeremy Barlow, Tayst Restaurant, Nashville, TN. Yield: 40-50 appetizer servings.

3 rib racks, American Lamb spareribs

as needed, spice mix (recipe follows)

Spice Mix:

1 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. coriander

¼ Tbsp. sarsaparilla

1 Tbsp. ginger, powdered

1/10 Tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ Tbsp. lemon zest

⅕ Tbsp. smoked sea salt

Lamb Neck:

2 American Lamb Necks

4 large carrots

2 onions

1 bunch celery

12 cloves garlic

3 fennel

to taste, salt and pepper

1 750-ml bottle red wine

4 bay leaves

½ bunch thyme

½ bunch oregano

3 Tbsp. peppercorns

as needed, lamb or veal stock

For ribs: Season ribs liberally with spice mix. Let sit overnight in refrigerator. Place on sheet pan. Wrap with plastic wrap then cover with foil. Bake at 250°F overnight, 12-14 hours. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. While still warm, pull bones out carefully so as to not rip the meat. Set aside and cool; discard bones.

For the neck: Cut carrots, onions, celery and fennel into large dice. Set aside. Season necks with salt and pepper. Sear in cast iron skillet; remove and set aside. Put cut vegetables into the skillet; slowly caramelize until browned. Deglaze with wine. Pour vegetables and wine into a large ovenproof pan; add necks, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and peppercorns. Add stock until necks are almost submerged; cover with foil. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, then bake at 350°F for 5 to 6 hours, checking for meat tenderness after 4 hours. Recheck every 30 minutes until lamb is finished and falls apart. Remove from oven; let cool completely in stock.

Once cooled, rewarm and remove the neck meat from the bone. Set meat aside. Strain stock from the pan. Slowly simmer stock until only a couple cups are left. It will be gelatinous. Do not over-reduce.

To assemble: Line a terrine mold with plastic wrap. Place one rib section on the bottom. In a separate bowl, mix neck meat with enough of reduced sauce to allow meat to hold together when squeezed tightly. Season to taste while mixing. Put enough meat in mold to fill terrine almost halfway. Add another layer of rib meat; add neck meat until terrine mold is full. Add last rib piece. Pour a little stock over the top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in cooler overnight, pressing beneath weights.

Remove from cooler. Can be sliced and served hot or cold.