Garlic Powder

Day 13 of Spicemas

Today will be part one, as I took advantage of this wildly versatile spice to prepare the meat for Sunday’s supper (and as I write this, it is a Friday evening). Some time ago I had seen lamb ribs (essentially) at a regular shopping stop, for a very decent price, and had decided not to pick them up as I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them. Of course, I got home and had several ideas. So when I was shopping earlier this week and saw them back in stock, I scooped up a package. This will likely, with sides, feed four, so if you have a family or plan to have friends, get two.

While my husband in the army, he was stationed overseas and had the chance to sample cuisines in several countries. He has an abiding fondness for German food, as he spent about six years serving there, but at some point he was in Greece, and ate souvlakia and loved it. He’d rediscovered it at a local Greek church festival in Ohio, but told me that the recipes I’d attempted were never quite right, never quite hitting the flavor notes of his memory of that street food from forty-odd years ago.

I do love a challenge. I’ve been attempting to recreate it, most recently by acquiring a pair of Greek cookbooks, both published around 1970. No, looking at those recipes, they would have disappointing results, being mostly lemon juice, garlic, and perhaps a little oregano. He and I talked. I got ideas. I don’t know - won’t know until Sunday night - if this is right, but at least I’ll get all the flavor notes in it for something really nice.

A very fine garlic powder in this packet. I like it. I tend to use granulated garlic, but this will work beautifully.

Lamb Rib Rub

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp dried mint

• 1 tbsp dried chopped lemon peel

• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt

• 1/2 tbsp dry lime, ground light

• 1/2 tbsp Aleppo Pepper

• 1/2 tbsp thyme

• sprigs rosemary (optional)

Combine all ingredients by mixing, or measure into a jar, cap, and shake to mix.

Lightly coat your breast plates (more to this than a rack of ribs, but for brevity’s sake: ribs) with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle less of the rub on the bone side, rub it around, then carefully coat the meat side, and edges, of the lamb. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, or vacuum seal if you can. Allow to rest and soak up the flavor at a minimum of overnight in the refrigerator.

Many rubs will contain sugar as well as the salt and spices, but I prefer to omit this. Both ingredients draw moisture from the meat, so just salt will work fine without adding sugars.

If you can vacuum pack your meat, it will help the rub stay in contact with the surface and soak in.

Now I don’t know how this will turn out, but I will update after I roast these off. I’m hoping for that elusive flavor he recalls, but if not, it will be tasty and I’ll have an excuse to try, try again!