Smoked Lamb Tartare

Australian Lamb, Celtuce and Cured Egg Yolk

Chef Kaitlin Steets of Theodore Rex | Houston

Adapted by StarChefs | December 2019

INGREDIENTS:

Smoked Lamb:
1 Aussie lamb shoulder, trimmed 
Salt  

Marinated Celtuce:
1 stalk celtuce
Chile vinegar or chile pickling liquid

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
1 tablespoon aïoli 
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
Maldon salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons brunoise brined green tomatoes or green olives
2 tablespoons brunoise shallots
2 tablespoons brunoise gypsy pepper or banana pepper
1 cured egg yolk 

METHOD:

For the Smoked Lamb:
In a chilled 2 percent salt solution, brine lamb 1 hour; pat dry. Prepare and heat a cold smoker. Smoke lamb 1 hour, re-lighting wood chips every 15 minutes. You want to smell the smoke on the meat. The lamb can be stored frozen until needed.

For the Marinated Celtuce:
Peel and thinly slice celtuce into rounds. In a nonreactive container, submerge celtuce in vinegar or pickling liquid. Marinate to desired depth of flavor.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a bowl, combine aïoli, lemon, salt, and 2 ounces small-diced Smoked Lamb. Line the bottom of a serving bowl with 5 Marinated Celtuce rounds. Top with lamb mixture. Grind a thin layer of black pepper on top. Evenly sprinkle on a layer of tomato or olive, followed by a layer of ⅓ of the shallots and peppers. Cover with a thin layer of celtuce. Top with remaining shallots and peppers. Cover with grated yolk.

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