I have a confession.  I haven’t been cooking much lately.  It’s true.  When I do cook I haven’t been all that inventive, relying on tried  and true recipes.  I’ve had a lot going on and my younger sister has moved home to have her second baby.  So, I’ve been busy being the baby whisperer..(he hasn’t listened yet and is stubbornly staying put!)  MarocBaba is starting to get antsy so don’t worry I’ll be back to normal soon.

My recipe today is for Mechoui.

I’ve posted portions of this recipe before but not with good pictures.  I want to share this again because lamb is often overlooked on the American table.  I can say before visiting Morocco I had never eaten lamb and had no desire to try.   The first few times I tried dishes with it I found the meat very fatty and I couldn’t handle the taste of fat in my mouth.  This recipe however melts off all of the fat.  I love it.  Even friends and family who swore they didn’t like lamb like this recipe!  If you’re looking for a different kind of holiday main dish this is it.  The best part is you can put it in the oven and pretty much forget about it!

Mechoui – Moroccan Style BBQ

Yield: 3-4 servings

Traditionally cooked in a large clay pit, this recipe is adapted for your oven.

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Ingredients

• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp ginger powder
• 5 tbsp butter cut into pieces and kept cold until needed.
• 2-3 racks of lamb ribs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Trim of excess fat from lamb cut and discard. Sprinkly kosher salt over meat. Place in roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients to make a rub. Massage the ribs with the spice mix. Cut half of the butter into chunks and rub on after the spices.
2. Cover with aluminum foil, like a tent. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, basting ever 30-45 minutes.Increase temperature to 375 degrees, remove foil, baste and allow leg of lamb to cook for 3 hours, or until skin is golden brown. Continue to baste and add more butter each hour as needed. Remove from oven and serve!