Dish of the Week: Lamb Shoulder
Last month brought a discussion on the vagaries and pleasures of mutton, the dictionary’s name for the meat of an aged sheep. But there’s a reason chefs and consumers have a strong inclination toward the meat of a young lamb: It’s more tender, especially after a long braise or slow roast.
Earlier this year St. Regis completely redesigned their restaurant, keeping on chef Sébastien Rondier to open Decanter. His Basque and French Riviera roots coexist with an extensive and expensive wine cellar. Tucked behind a glass wall of wine in the back of the restaurant, a private space serves as home to a grand fine dining bargain, a family table meal set for $55 a person.
The meal comes with multitudes or breads, appetizers, sides, and several desserts, but revolves around a selection of one of three entrees. There’s a whole rockfish and roasted chickens to choose from, but the jewel may be the roasted baby lamb shoulder. Rondier’s lamb comes from the Pennsylvania Amish country and is seasoned overnight before the shoulder is braised with a classic aromatic garnish of onions, celery, carrots, garlic and tomato. Those ingredients are roasted together while the skin gets a quick exterior browning. It’s then put on top of the garnish, covered with veal stock, and sent into the oven for four hours.
“I let it rest all night like this in the jus and everything,” explains Rondier. “The following day I just melt again everything then I take out the shoulder, then I strain the jus and reduce it to consistency in order for me to glaze again the lamb shoulder when we’re doing the dinner.”
The shoulder is brought out whole and served tableside by Rondier, who doesn’t even bother to bring out a knife. A spoon is all that’s needed to cut into and serve the meat. The shoulder won’t fall apart like it does here if a sheep’s been using it to support its front legs for three whole years. You’ve got to get them while their young.
The entree is served with Brussels sprouts with yogurt and cilantro and a cauliflower with pine nuts and a pomegranate vinaigrette. It’s a bit tough to focus on those dishes, as well as the foccacia,hamachi niçoise, charred octopus and Turkish-inspired lamb shank flatbread that begin the meals. Chances are there’s not room for the tarte tatin and mini cupcakes for dessert at the end.
At Kapnos, peek into the open kitchen to see hunks of the meat turning on an open spit. Mike Isabella sells the whole shoulder for $79 for the table to share.
Small Bites
Eno Opens in Georgetown
A new wine bar opens today on the eastern end of Georgetown. Eno Wine Room, at 2810 Pennsylvania Avenue, is the latest installation of a small chain that includes shops in the heart of Chicago, San Francisco, and a smattering of luxury West Coast hotels. The cheeses, charcuteries, and chocolates available with the vino will include local artisanal options such as cured meats from Stachowski’s Market to pair with a flight of Virginia wines. Or any of the other 35 wines by the glass. There are 72 seats in the three-level, brick row house Eno occupies.
Whiskey Women
Whiskey may be thought of traditionally as a man’s drink, though it seems to have become more of an equal opportunity spirit. Well, at least the cool girls are drinking it. Author Fred Minnick knows the history of women and whiskey goes way back. He will be discussing and signing a newly released book, Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey, at Jack Rose Dining Saloon on Wednesday October 24 from 6-8 p.c. The event costs $30 and includes a copy of the book for Minnick to sign, plus a flight of four whiskeys.
Port City a Winner
Alexandria’s Port City Brewery took home four medals from last week’s Great American Beer Festival which was held in Denver, Colo. Optimal Wit was awarded a gold medal in the Belgian Witbier category. The brews Oktoberfest, Colossal One, and Colossal Two also scored awards.
