Yerba Mate-Smoked Lamb Belly

Salt-Baked Carrots, Picholine Olive Dulche de Leche, Black Pepper and Cherry Glaze, Whipped Lardo

Chef Greg Biggers of Chestnut Provisions at Sofitel | Chicago
Yield: 24 servings

This dish was selected as a winner in the Breaking New Ground recipe contest, presented by Wines from Argentina. Chef Greg Biggers was inspired by Red Blend, Bodega Del Fin Del Mundo, Special Blend Reserva, Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina, 2013 as a pairing.

"Tasting this wine, I knew the dish had to be something with some back bone to hold up to the spice and boldness of the blend. To me it screamed lamb! I though having a cut with some fattiness to it would be a good match. The wine started off being jammy and with deep rooted spices like black pepper and cinnamon. I wanted to bring this out with the black pepper and cherries in the sauce for the belly. To me the tannic punch at the end seemed like it be great with the super-rich flavor and texture of the whipped lardo. I went through a huge tea drinking phase a few years ago and love Yerba Matte tea. I thought this would be a fun way to highlight such a great ingredient from Argentina in a unique way. The smoke on the crusted belly really added a depth of flavor that matches the levels of complexity in the Del Fin Del Mundo." — Chef Greg Biggers

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Adapted by StarChefs | April 2018

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Belly:
8 pounds cleaned lamb belly
2 cups Yerba Mate rub
1 cup kosher salt
50/50 mix apple cider vinegar and water

Lamb Belly Rub:
2 tablespoons cup yerba mate
2 cups chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon  ground toasted coriander
1 tablespoon toasted black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted fennel seed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon red chili flake

Salt Baked Carrots:
2 pounds carrots, washed and greens removed
2½ pounds salt (enough to cover the veggies completely)
1 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
4 thyme sprigs
4 sprigs rosemary
3 garlic cloves, chopped

Picholine Olive Dulce de Leche:
1 cup condensed milk
½ cup chopped picholine olives
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ cup lamb or chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

Black Pepper-Cherry Jus:
50 pounds lamb bones
2 pounds onions
2 pounds carrots
2 pounds celery
1 cup fresh cherries
4 cloves crushed garlic
½ cup flour
1 quart red wine
3 quarts cherry juice
1 cup toasted black peppercorns

To Assemble and Serve:
8 ounces blanched English peas
Butter
8 ounces whipped lardo
8 nasturtium leaves
16 garlic chips

METHOD

For the Lamb Belly Rub:
Combine all ingredients in a spice grinder and process to a fine powder.

For the Lamb Belly:
Place ribs in a cambro, season with salt, and rest overnight in refrigerator. Remove ribs from cambro and coat heavily in 2 cups of Rub. Return to cambro and rest 8 to 12 hours in refrigerator. Combine equal parts cider vinegar and water. Prepare smoker with oak chips and heat to 225°F. Smoke lamb belly until tender, 2½ to 4 hours, spraying with apple cider vinegar-water solution every 30 minutes. Remove from smoker and chill. When chilled cut into 4-ounce portions.

For the Salt-Baked Carrots:
Heat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss to combine carrots, half the salt, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Into a greased hotel pan, add carrot mixture and cover with remaining salt. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and brush salt away from carrots with pastry brush or towel. Cool, cut into ¾-inch lengths, and reserve.

For the Picholine Olive Dulche de Leche:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to a boil. In a vacuum bag, combine condensed milk and olives; cook 6 hours, or until liquid reaches a dark caramel color. Remove from the bath and empty contents into a Vitamix blender, along with vinegar and stock. Blend on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Black Pepper-Cherry Jus:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place bones onto roasting pans and roast 45 minutes. Drain fat, reserving separately. In large stock pot on medium-high heat, add a little lab fat and sauté onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until translucent. Add cherries and garlic. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes more. Deglaze with red wine and juice and add peppercorns; reduce by half. Add bones, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 8 hours. Strain and reserve.

To Assemble and Serve:
Into a small saucepan on medium heat, add a portion of Lamb Belly and 4 ounces Black Pepper-Cherry Jus; simmer until warmed through, basting throughout. Remove lamb from pan and reduce the jus to napé. Add lamb back to pan and baste with glaze. In a large pan on medium flame, heat butter and sauté 8 pieces Salt-baked Carrots and peas; season with salt and pepper. Place lamb on left side of a plate, and then plate a quenelle of whipped lardo to the side. Drizzle 1 ounce Picholine Olive Dulce de Leche around the lamb. Arrange carrots and peas next to and on top of the lamb. Garnish with 2 nasturtium leaves and 4 garlic chips.

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