Lamb Riblets with Asian Tamarind Glaze

Cheap Eats, Family Meal
I first encountered tamarind in Amsterdam long ago as a college student “doing Europe.” Since my finances were starvingly modest, I sought out places that offered large portions at bargain prices, but I was also intent on trying new flavors and exotic cooking. Amsterdam’s numerous Indonesian restaurants fit the bill perfectly. With four or five friends, I could order Rijssafel, a huge mound of rice accompanied by a dozen or more small dishes of various tamarind-flavored stews, pickles, vegetables, and glazed meats—all for a few guilders. More recently, after visiting Singapore, Vietnam, and China, countries that also use tamarind, I purchased some of the sour, fruity paste from my local Asian grocery store and began to experiment. Here tamarind flavors a delicious marinade, which is then turned into a glaze. Like pork spareribs, lamb breast becomes tender when roasted long and slow, and its ample fat keeps it succulent when cooked to well-done. Note that the riblets must marinate overnight.

SERVES: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup tamarind paste (see Sources)
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon unsulfured molasses
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons Asian toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce, or more if needed
• 2-3 bone-in lamb breasts (4-5 pounds total), fell (papery membrane) removed, and trimmed of excess fat

INSTRUCTIONS:

MARINADE

1. Combine the tamarind and water in a small bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
2. Taste and add more Sriracha to suit your taste, if desired.
3. Place the lamb in a large zipper-lock bag, add the marinade, seal the bag, and turn and shake the bag so that all the pieces are coated with the marinade.
4. Refrigerate overnight, turning the bag from time to time to redistribute the marinade.

ROASTING

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Line a baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil and place a rack in the pan.
3. Remove the lamb from the marinade and set it on the rack, fat side up. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan.
4. Roast the lamb for 1½ hours, or until the meat begins to pull away from the bone and is tender when tasted.
5. While the meat is roasting, boil the marinade until it just turns syrupy enough to use as a glaze, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. When the meat is done, increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Baste the lamb with the glaze and roast until the glaze is bubbly and beginning to darken, about 10 minutes.
7. Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil.
8. Cut the breasts into individual riblets. Serve any remaining glaze on the side as a dipping sauce.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Lamb rib or shoulder chops
• Lamb kebabs
• Pork ribs or chops
• Goat breast
• Goat ribs and shoulder chops. Chops and kebabs take much less time: 7 to 10 minutes.

COOK’S NOTES:

• You can also roast the lamb on a grill set up for indirect grilling (grill-roasting). Follow the directions for Grill-Roasted Cherry-Glazed St. Louis Ribs.
• Serve the riblets with Green Papaya Salad and jasmine rice