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| Grilled Lamb Kebab Salad with Cucumber, Tomatoes & Pita |
Serves 4 as a main course
Main-dish salads are summer's answer to the one-bowl weeknight meal. They're super easy to put together, and in this case, the lamb salad is light but complete. It's also a great alternative for those nights when you want a juicy, meaty salad, but need a break from beef.
Ingredients
6 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, mashed or crushed through a garlic press
1-1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb. boneless lamb leg or shoulder meat, trimmed well and cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes (to yield about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb.)
1 small head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn or cut into large bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into large dice
2 tomatoes, cut into large dice
1 cup packed mint leaves (from about 21/2 to 3 oz. mint sprigs), roughly chopped
2 pita breads, 5 to 6 inches in diameter
Directions
Heat a gas grill to medium. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, allspice, salt, and pepper. Whisking constantly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of the oil. Toss the lamb pieces in a medium bowl with 2 Tbs. of the vinaigrette. Thread the lamb onto three or four metal skewers; sprinkle with salt.
Combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and all but about 2 Tbs. of the mint in a large bowl. Using a knife, split the pitas and pull the sides apart. Brush the pita halves with the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Grill until crisp and charred in places, 30 to 60 seconds per side, and transfer to a plate.
Grill the lamb, turning the skewers every 90 seconds or so, until cooked to medium, 6 to 8 min. Remove from the grill and let the lamb rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rip the pitas into large bite-size pieces, add to the bowl with the vegetables, and toss. Slide the lamb off the skewers and cut each cube in half. In a medium bowl, toss the lamb with 3 Tbs. of the vinaigrette (whisk to recombine first).
Toss the vegetables with the remaining dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion the vegetables onto four plates. Top the salads with the lamb and sprinkle with the remaining mint. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Toast some extra pitas and serve with Garlic-Yogurt Sauce.
nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings, Calories (kcal): 657, Fat (kcal): 44, Fat Calories (g): 397, Saturated Fat (g): 8, Protein (g): 38, Monounsaturated Fat (g): 30, Carbohydrates (mg): 29, Polyunsaturated Fat (mg): 4, Sodium (g): 471, Cholesterol (g): 100, Fiber (g): 6,
Source: Fine Cooking
Photo: Scott Phillips
