Bulgar

I grabbed some lamb loin on impulse at my local health food store for this dish. I am not a vegetarian, but I rarely cook meat at home. I make a lot of dishes with pastas, grains, legumes, fish, eggs, etc. Most of the meat I eat is from restaurants and social gatherings, or sometimes I prepare it for special occasions. But, I thought I would give this lamb a go.

Instead of making a marinade, I decided on a quick spice rub. I craved savory with a little heat, so I combined: ground mustard, s&p, sumac, ground red pepper, fenugreek, garlic powder, and cumin. I also wanted to balance out the heat, so I started to add a little raw sugar. At the last minute, though, I went with finely minced fresh dates. I had never made a rub with dates, but I thought it would serve the same purpose (but add a slightly different profile). New experiments are always fun! I incorporated the dry seasonings with the dates until the mixture was crumbly (it reminded me of mixing pie crust dough). If it was a larger volume, I probably would have just processed it. *A common tip when cutting dates is to oil your knife, as they are pretty sticky.* I rubbed this mixture into the (room temp.) meat, seared it on the stove, then finished it in the oven. Lovely! So tender, and I loved the flavors.

I thought the bulgar and vermicelli from Jasmine Market any seasonings…but, working with what I had handy, I sautéed onion & garlic, then added the cooked b&v, s&p, a little olive oil, mint, and sunflower seeds. I charred some lemons to squeeze over it. Yum!

I was delighted this meal turned out so well, so perhaps I will make a few more dishes with meat here and there.