Stephen Burrow
2011 Arkansas Iron Chef
Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb:
· 2 cups Ground Roasted Pistachio
· 1 cup Brown Sugar
· 3 Tblsp Pink Peppercorn (Freshly Cracked)
· .5 Cups Almond Flour
· 5 Egg Whites (Whisked for 1½-2 minutes)
· 1 Rack of Lamb, Bones Frenched (you can find these racks with the bones already frenched in most grocery stores)
· Coarsely Ground Salt
1. Mix the ground pistachio, brown sugar, pink peppercorn, and almond flour together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees
3. Season the Rack of Lamb with salt.
4. Dip the Lamb Loin section, not the bones, into the egg whites.
5. Pack the pistachio mixture thoroughly on the Loin section, leaving the bones clean.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet on your stove top with about a tablespoon of cooking oil.
7. Once your skillet is smokin' hot, sear the top side of the rack for 30 seconds.
8. Flip the rack so that the bottom side is now touching cast iron, immediately place in oven. Cook until the middle of the loin reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees
Honey & Brie Grits
· 1 cup quick grits
· 2.5 cup heavy cream
· 2 pieces bacon
· 1/3 cup honey
· 1 lb. Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into chunks
· 2-3 drops black truffle oil
1. In a medium soup pot, render bacon until cooked. Do not drain grease.
2. Once the bacon is cooked, add the quick grits. Incorporate grits with the bacon grease for 1-2 minutes, or until the grits have had a chance to toast.
3. Add heavy cream. Stir almost constantly throughout the duration of cooking to ensure that the grits do not scorch to the bottom of your pot, leaving a bitter and burnt flavor.
4. From here, cook until the grits have absorbed almost all of the cream and are soft to bite into. (Best bet is to follow the cooking instructions on the back of the box of grits)
5. Once done, cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil. This will keep the dish hot while preparing the honey and brie mixture.
6. In a blender or food processor, incorporate the honey and chunks of brie together. Once this is done fold the mixture into your grits until the brie is completely melted. Once incorporated, the grits are ready to serve.
