Lamb with Cumin

Does anyone happen to have a recipe for this dish or a source for where I might be able to find a recipe? I'd like to try to make it tonight, similiar to the one served at Lao Sze Chuan.

Thanks in advance!

I've tried to make this a couple times and come close but never exactly. I think it's primarily the high heat I can't get on my home stove. The next time I make it I will use my cast iron pan and put it in a 4-500 degree oven then transfer to the stove top and cook it in that while it's super hot. I really like the char on the outside of the vegetables.

Marinade:

1T shao shing cooking wine or sherry
1T soy
2T peanut oil
1T sesame oil
1/2t szechwan peppercorn ground
1/2t salt

Seasoning sauce:
1T soy
1T brown vinegar
1T sesame oil
1t cumin or less to taste


1/2 lb. lamb
onion sliced into 1" pieces
green pepper sliced into 1" pieces
jalapeno sliced optional
green onions sliced into 1" pieces
small dried chilies
6T lard or peanut oil for frying

Marinate very thinly sliced lamb (freeze slightly to make it easier) for at least 15 minutes

Mix together seasoning sauce and reserve.

Heat oil in pan and add garlic first, then lamb for about 10sec (per cookbook I adapted this from) Then add vegetables and seasoning sauce and serve immediately. I add the onions and green peppers at the same time I add the lamb.

The quantites I left blank, since you've had LSC's version I just go by their proportions.

I modified this from the sauteed lamb with scallions recipe on page 179 of Pei Mei's Chinese Cookbook.

Thanks for sharing, Octarine!

Unfortunately I didn't get your message before I went home last night, so I experimented on my own, modifying from a recipe I found for making the grilled version of this lamb.

I first toasted some cumin, red pepper flakes, and szechuan peppercorns then ground them up. I eyeballed the amounts and adjusted to taste, but it was about equal parts cumin and szechuan peppercorns and a little less of the red pepper.

I marinated thinly sliced pieces of lamb from a boneless leg in some vegetable oil, about 1 tsp of soy sauce, the spice mix, touch of garlic powder, and salt and black pepper for about 20 mins. I added about 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, too, but I don't think I could distinguish it in the final dish.

I went light on the soy because I read an article where a chef from a restaurant who makes the grilled version said he never uses soy sauce. But I thought it couldn't hurt.

Next, pan seared the lamb pieces and set them aside. Then stir fried onions and red bell peppers, adding whole cumin seeds then the lamb.

My critique:

The lamb had pretty good flavor and was close to LSC's. Next time I'd add even more spices and up the heat in the marinade. May try adding sherry and a little more soy as well. It'd probably also benefit from a slightly longer marinating time.

I couldn't remember how saucy LSC's version was, if at all. Mine was on the dry side, though it had a little sauce to it. Next time I may try adding your seasoning sauce.

My veggies didn't have much flavor. Probably b/c I didn't add any sauce to the dish, so I should have salted more as I was cooking them. Small dried chilies would be a good addition.

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with my first time experimental effort, though I would've preferred even stronger flavoring. I'll keep working on it and take your suggestions next time, too.

I just tried my own version and I got pretty close to LSC's, although theirs has an oily finish, mine yielded a little gravy instead. Perhaps I'll leave the wine out of the marinade, perhaps I need higher heat. I didn't want to cook the liquid out, which could overcook the lamb. I'm guessing LSC uses the "pass through" method of a quick deep fry to sear the meat, which would also add to the oiliness. This recipe started with one I found elsewhere online (I forgot to look here first), with liberal changes.

Heat level and cumin levels here are spicy but reasonable, your mileage will vary with your chiles.

Lamb with Pure Cumin

• 1 lb leg of lamb, sliced thin in 3/4" by 2" pieces (I used lamb "shabu shabu" from H-Mart, and I'd use it again)
• 2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 3 dried red chiles, broken into piecess
• 3 Tbs chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbs Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbs White Wine
• Salt and Pepper (about 1/2 tsp each)
• 1 Med onion, cut into 1/4" dice
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1/4" dice
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers, cut into 1/4" dice
• 2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs Dark Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbs oil for stir frying

Toast cumin seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add to sliced lamb with soy sauce, wine, salt and pepper

Start your rice cooking if you haven't already. Marinate while the rice cooks, at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil in wok until smoking, add the peppers and leave until nearly black, remove and add them to the lamb.

Stir fry the onion, bell and jalapeno peppers until soft and a little browned on the edges. Remove from the wok (I put them into the serving dish at this point).

Add lamb mixture to the pan (you may need a little more oil first). Stir fry until they are no longer pink on the outside. Add the onion mixture back to the pan and toss briefly. Remove everything to the serving dish and garnish with scallions and sesame oil.