lamb ribs

Lamb Ribs with Grilled Apricots

Alliance’s chef James Bloomfield puts a fresh spin on classic ingredients for a delicious and fresh holiday spread. Try his recipe for lamb ribs and find more creative dishes in the December 2017 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s MagazineGet your copy!

Ingredients

For the lamb
  • 4 slabs lamb ribs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 onions, quartered
  • 8 cloves of garlic
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 4 cups of water
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Season the lamb ribs with salt and pepper and place into a deep roasting pan with onions, garlic, bay leaves and water, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cover with foil and roast ribs in the oven until almost falling off of the bone but not quite, approximately 3 hours. Pull ribs from the oven, remove from liquid and set aside to cool. For the apricots
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
  • 2 onions (small dice)
  • 1/4 cup garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup ginger (minced)
  • 12 apricots (cut in half and pit removed)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
In a large saucepan over medium heat combine cooking oil, onions, garlic, ginger, four of the apricots, salt and pepper. When the onions and garlic begin to break down and become translucent, add the molasses, chili powder, vinegar and sugar and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook the apricot mixture for 1 hour until fully broken down. Purée the apricot mixture in blender, with the orange juice, and season to taste. To serve: Preheat grill on high and sear the ribs making sure not to tear the meat and lose any of the bones. Once the ribs have been marked on the grill, brush them with the puréed apricot mixture and place in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, grill the remaining apricots cut side down for 1 to 2 minutes. Place glazed ribs on a large serving board and garnish with grilled apricot pieces and chopped herbs.

Make this Alliance holiday feast.

Photo(s) by Courtney Kent