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@LifeandDimSum
With the exception of the occasional gyro, I just started eating lamb a couple years ago. The taste and even the smell is so distinct that lamb is one of those meats you either love or turn your nose up at. I obviously love.
I’ve watched my mom make lamb chops on several occasions but I decided to go for the shank; the tibia portion of the lamb. This cut of meat is particularly tough so slow cooking is the perfect answer to achiever tender, fall off the bone results.
What You Need:
2 lbs lamb shank
salt
pepper
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
How To:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet(I used a stovetop wok but that’s because that’s the only thing I have that’s large enough). Salt and pepper the shanks, add to skillet and brown on all sides.
Once good and browned, add to the slow cooker. Toss the onions and garlic into the skillet. Once the onions begin to become translucent, pour in the wine and broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all that leftover lamb goodness(this whole process is called deglazing the pan). Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, tomato paste, rosemary and thyme. Allow the sauce to come to a boil and add to the slowcooker.
Cover and set on high for 4 hours.
Once you take the shanks out of the slow cooker, the meat should literally fall off the bone. The red wine adds a great, robust flavor to the earthy lamb.
I served this up with a sweet potato gnocchi sauteed in a brown butter sage sauce(recipe up later this week!).
@LifeandDimSum
as much as I love food, vegetables & I have just never really gotten along. So as I test out this adult thing, I’m constantly looking for way to make vegetables more appealing.
I’d always seen recipes for balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts and Brussels sprouts with pancetta, so I’d figure I’d combine all of the above and come up with the best sprouts you’ll ever taste.
Well, in my humble opinion at least.
What You Need:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup diced pancetta(or uncooked bacon if you can’t find pancetta)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tspn garlic powder
salt
cracked black pepper
**for the vegetarians/vegans out there, feel free to leave out the pancetta and I promise the dish will be just as tasty!
How To:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Blanch the Brussels sprouts in a pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes or until they turn darker green in color. For me, blanching is a must; it helps to achieve that perfect texture once the sprouts are roasted. Strain them and when they are cool enough to handle, half them and place them on a flat sheet pan. 
Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pancetta(or uncooked bacon), red onion, salt, pepper & garlic to the pan with the Brussels sprouts and use your hands to mix them all together. You want to make sure all of the sprouts are nicely coated.
Pop them in the preheated oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. The main goal here is to get the sprouts good and caramelized from the balsamic vinegar and to good the pancetta. 
Once they come out of the oven, feel free to drizzle with a touch more of the balsamic. And take it from me, this dish is best served warm.
These sprouts are amazingly good. The slight tang of the balsamic with the saltiness of the pancetta perfectly compliment the veggie earthiness of the actual Brussels sprouts.
And the best part? As the sprouts roast there are tiny leaves that will naturally fall astray and become crispy roasted, toasted treats– they’re like Brussels sprout chips!
So the next time the kids or your honey start complaining about veggies, make this recipe. I’m preeeetty sure they’ll change their tune.
@LifeandDimSum
What a coincidence that the weekend I schedule my oxtail recipe just so happens to be the same weekend as the big West Indian parade in Brooklyn. I think that was a sign that this dish was destined for greatness.
I grew up not eating beef, so I’ve actually never eaten oxtails before. I’ve always heard how good they are, and I’m constantly looking for a culinary challenge, so I had to give them a try!
What You Need:
3 lbs oxtails
1 large onion
5 scallions, sliced
1 cup diced carrots
1 large onion
1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 jalapeno(or scotch bonnet, if you’re feeling feisty)
1 tbsp fresh time
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 tspn diced ginger
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
3 tbsp tomato paste
salt
celery salt
black pepper
1 tbsp all spice
How To:
Dice up the veggies — carrots, onion, scallion, mushrooms and jalapeno.
Sprinkle the oxtails with salt and pepper. Brown both sides(3-4 minutes each) in a skillet and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add the onion, garlic, carrots, scallion, jalapeno, ginger, thyme & rosemary to the skillet. 
Stir and allow the veggies to cook until the onion begins to get translucent. Add in the mushrooms, beef stock, red wine and all spice. 
Stir with a wooden spoon, being sure to scrape up all that leftover goodness from the oxtails. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Pour on top of the oxtails and cover.
Set the slow cooker on low for 6 hours and go about your day(I swear this is my favorite part).
As I got near the 6 hour mark, I noticed that the “sauce” was a little thin and more like a broth. Although I’ve never had oxtails I had it in my mind that there should be a thick, stew-like sauce. So as a quick fix, I stirred together 1/4 cup of water and 1 tspn of cornstarch and added it to the slow cooker. I recommend doing this when you only have 30 minutes of cooking time left. Instantly my sauce thickened right up!
You can eat the stewed oxtail as is or you can serve it with rice & pigeon peas(which is what I’m doing) or a side of plantains!
@LifeandDimSum
After leaving from one of my routine trips out to Tyson’s Corner Mall, I decided to knock another dish off my 40 eats list: the lemongrass bahn mi from Song Que Deli in Falls Church, VA.
As soon as I drove into the shopping center where Song Que is located, I felt like I had entered another world. There were nothing but Vietnamese restaurants and shops. Even the “streets” in the parking lot had been given Vietnamese names.
Located at the very back of the shopping center, Song Que is packed full of Vietnamese groceries, snacks and delicacies.
After taking a quick look around, I approached the counter to order up the lemongrass banh mi and an iced bubble tea.
I’ve never tried banh mi before, so aside from knowing that it was a sandwich, I didn’t truly know what else to expect. But for a mere $3.95, I was more than willing to take the chance. 
The banh mi was stuffed full of tender grilled beef, pickled carrots, daikon, onion, cilantro and jalepeno; all of which made for a great combination. I was seriously shocked by how flavorful and tender the beef was. And at such a great price, you get much more than your money’s worth. The thai iced bubble tea also helped to round out what was quite the nomaliscious experience. 
I’d definitely consider the lemongrass banh mi to be an essential eat! The flavor as well as the complete experience absolutely made this trip worth while.
@LifeandDimSum
I’m a bit of a deli sandwich snob. Having had what I believe are some of the best from the likes of Katz in NYC and Alvie’s in Cleveland, I think I’ve earned that right.
With that said, finding a great Jewish deli style sandwich has been next to impossible in DC, that is until I stumbled upon Stachowski’s in Georgetown.
Located off the beaten path at the corner of 28th & P, Stachowski’s is a tiny shop with a mom and pop type feel. There’s fresh produce, as well as locally sourced jams, sauces and other goodies(they even sell a DC style mumbo sauce); but most importantly there’s a butcher!
And that’s where you’ll find the best pastrami sandwich in DC. Yep, the best.
Of course there are other sandwiches, but if it’s your first time here, don’t even waste your time, just go straight for the gold. The $12.99 pricepoint startled me but as I was just about to start up a rant a la, “$12.99 for a SANDWICH, oh heeeeee–YES!”
This pastrami wonder is huge! I literally shared it with my family and still had 1/2 to save for lunch the next day. The pastrami is moist and flavorful and just amaze.
I really can’t even put into words how good this sandwich is, you’ll just have to try it yourselves. Next time you’re in Georgetown skip out on the frilly, overpriced options and head to this neighborhood gem.
*Me attempting and failing to take one hellova bite*
@LifeandDimSum
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