A Week of Recipes (3/16 - 3/22)
Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks, Malfouf, Laban Immo
Happy Sunday and welcome back to another week of recipes. This week I have three very hefty meals to share. All three of these are absolute pleasures to have for dinner either for a small family meal or for a big party. Middle Eastern food sometimes gets the stigma that the recipes are always super labor intensive or take forever. While that’s not always true, these three definitely fall under at least one of those categories.
First we have slow roasted lamb shanks. This is another dish we did for big celebrations or for big dinner parties. Sometimes we would get a leg of lamb for the larger parties but when it was just the family, 3 large shanks was enough to feed a family of 5.
Second we have Malfouf. This is the Levantine style cabbage rolls. They’re filled with the traditional stuffing of short grain rice and ground beef and cooked in a large pot of seasoned water that cooks the rice through and softens the cabbage rolls.
Last we have Laban Immo. This is a Levantine style yogurt stew typically made with lamb but works just as good with beef. It’s very similar to Mansaf for those of you who know it but doesn’t require quite as much labor.
The Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks, like I just mentioned are a great party dish. They’re really not labor intensive but they take a long time to cook, hence the name “slow roasted.” All you need to do is make the marinade which is really very simple, cover the meat, let it sit for at least an hour or overnight for best results. Then cover and into an oven for about 3 hours. Then it’s succulent fall apart meat for all to enjoy. I also tried out this exact recipe with my in-laws using a beef chuck roast and they all lost their minds over it so rest assured to those of you who don’t like lamb. The rice here is also a very special and flavorful rice. If you’re interested in trying out a traditional Middle Eastern recipe, this is a great one to start with because it is VERY easy to make if you have the time.
The Malfouf is on the labor intensive side but the results always make it worthwhile. First you need to carefully steep and separate the cabbage leaves then fill each one and roll tightly. I have to be honest it takes some time. But these rolls I think are just as good, if not better, than the rolled grape leaves. I really enjoy the flavor of cabbage and when it’s drowned in lemon juice its even better.
The Laban Immo, also known as Shakriyeh depending on which part of the Middle East you are from, is a great warm comfort dish. Laban Immo actually translates to “mothers milk” because of how nurturing this dish is. It’s perfectly stewed lamb or beef in a yogurt stew smothered in garlic and olive oil. Picture a beef stroganoff but triple the amount of garlic and instead of pasta, serve with vermicelli rice. It’s a dish we had every winter because yogurt stews are the perfect way to keep warm on a cold rainy night.
Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks
This is the kind of dish that grabs the attention of everyone in the room. It’s my party dish of choice because the presentation of this creates an electric energy that just fills the room. You can just feel the excitement in everybody waiting to get their share. It’s a very simple dish to make, just needs time and patience. And the best part is that you can do this with a small lamb shank or, if you have the space, with a large leg of lamb for a big party. The rice here is unique as well and compliments the lamb perfectly. Serve this with some cucumber yogurt and a salad and you have yourself a wonderful meal.
Malfouf
This is a dish that’s known world wide and each country has their take on it but I in my super biased opinion, the Levant does it best. It’s called Malfouf which translates to “wrapped” or “rolled” and that’s exactly what this is. They’re cabbage leaves stuffed with the traditional Levant stuffing of rice and beef and boiled in a super tart lemon broth.…
Laban Immo (Shakriyeh)
If you’re looking for a warm, comforting stew that’s loaded with garlic, look no further. I know this dish by a couple names and I’m sure there’s more. We call it Laban Immo but I know it also as Shakriyeh from other parts of the Middle East. It’s a lamb and Yogurt stew that’s loaded with lots of garlic and olive oil. It’s a flavor I will never get sick of and is perfect on a cold rainy night. Yogurt stews sometimes are a bit intimidating but I promise this one is very easy. Go slow and everything will come out beautifully.