Recipes For Winter

by AMY NGUYEN

Here are some recipes for the fall and winter time. My first recipe, Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata originated from New England. The second recipe, Toasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-rum Glaze , is a delicious savory (yet sweet) meal.

Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided

• 1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed

• 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

• 2 oranges, divided

• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 2 cups unsalted beef stock or water

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed

• 3 whole Calabrian chiles in oil, divided

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 pound celery root, turnips, or rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1/2 cup packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add chuck roast to the Dutch oven, and sear, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.

2. Scrub 1 orange, and cut into 8 wedges; discard seeds and core, and set aside. Add onion to Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often with a wooden spoon, until onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. (Add 1/4 cup water while cooking onion if too many browned bits accumulate.) Add beef stock, tomatoes, 1 chile, and orange wedges; bring to a boil. Return chuck roast and any accumulated juices to pan; bring to a simmer over high.

3. Cover and transfer to a preheated oven; braise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in sweet potato and celery root. Return to the oven, and braise, uncovered, until meat and vegetables are tender but not falling apart, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer chuck roast to a work surface; shred into large pieces. Skim off fat from the Dutch oven, and discard. Return shredded beef to the Dutch oven.

4. While meat rests, zest remaining orange to equal 1 tablespoon zest and squeeze to yield 3 tablespoons juice. Finely chop remaining 2 chiles to equal 1 tablespoon. Stir together parsley, orange zest and juice, chopped chiles, and remaining 1/4 cup oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide roast mixture evenly among bowls; top with parsley mixture. Serve with crusty bread.

5. After the roast is shredded and returned to the Dutch oven, let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Gently reheat over low.

Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-Rum Glaze

Ingredients Lamb Chops

• 2 heads garlic, peeled

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

• 2 tablespoons rubbed sage

• 2 (2-pound) racks of lamb, frenched

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

• Flaky sea salt, to taste

Ingredients Glaze

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup unsalted vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 thyme sprig

• 1 rosemary sprig

• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) gold rum

Directions

Make the lamb : Combine garlic cloves, olive oil, rosemary, and sage in a food processor. Process until mixture is finely chopped, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. Sprinkle lamb all over with kosher salt and pepper. Rub evenly with garlic mixture. Place lamb, fat side up, on an aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Reheat the oven to 450°F with the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Stir together brown sugar, vegetable stock, butter, soy sauce, Dijon, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy and has reduced to about 2/3 cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard herb sprigs. Let cool for 5 minutes, and stir in rum. Set aside.

Roast lamb in a preheated oven until browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven, and quickly brush the tops and sides of the lamb with about 1/4 cup glaze. Return to the oven, and roast until lamb reaches desired degree of doneness, 5 to 8 minutes with an internal temperature of 125°F for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Cut lamb between rib bones to separate into chops, and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle it with flaky sea salt to taste. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of glaze, and serve remaining glaze on the side.