What if you have a hankering for meat and a vegetarian’s budget? You might consider shopping halal. At the Atlantic Avenue butcher shop where I buy leg of lamb, it goes for $4.50/lb., as compared to $6 to $7 a pound at Fairway and $7.99 at Whole Foods last time I checked. There are some differences between halal lamb and the kind you’re probably used to, and we’ll let you decide how you feel about the slaughter practices.
It tastes a bit different as well—halal lamb is completely drained of blood and it hasn’t been aged, so it’s not that super-tender lamb chop you’re going to grill to a pink medium-rare. This is hearty flesh that responds to marinades, barbecuing, and to slow simmering. Here’s a recipe I came up with…
Butterflied lamb with Yoghurt and Garlic
Have the leg deboned by the butcher, or do it yourself. Rub a cup of creamy Greek yoghurt onto the flesh, along with three finely chopped garlic cloves and about 4 sprigs of oregano. Salt. Let it sit for a few hours in the fridge, and then put it under a blistering broiler for maybe 8-10 minutes a side. Then it rests. It is very good on a wood fire, too. Or charcoal. Whatever. After ten minutes of resting slice it and serve with something strong like a fennel-and-potato salad.
Halal Meat Market, 232 Atlantic Ave. between Court Street & Boerum Place, 718-625-2781. See more from Marie Viljoen here.
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A terrific-and valuable–piece! I’m amazed that the Halal butchers near where I live (in northern NJ) not only charge much less than the supermaekets for both lamb and beef, the quality is better. I prefer the taste. If I’n in a rish, I’ll just pop the lamb chops into a microwave with a slice of green pepper on top, and they’re delioious in minutes. If I want the meat ground, with no fat, the butcher grinds it in front of my eyes while I wait–so I know exactly what I’m getting. And it’s perfectly fresh! The butcher In go to for lamb (South Paterson Meat Market) raises the animals on his own property in northern NJ.
Best blog post title ever! Thanks for making me laugh at work…
I recognize that sign! Got goat meat there awhile back, and it was cheap and delicious: http://bk.ly/cX
Will have to go back and try the lamb….