Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops Recipe
A must-try for a summer mood-enhancing food combo = Moroccan spiced lamb chops with caramelized butternut squash and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Lamb is my favorite land animal meat for its unique fat flavor and it has a more grassy distinctive taste than beef. I don’t like to compare apples to oranges that much because eating animal protein is generally beneficial, but if there was a comparison, I would say I enjoy lamb a little more.
MOROCCAN LAMB WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE
It took 30 minutes to make this lamb recipe, from preparing to cooking. There are various lamb cuts to choose from, but in this recipe, I opted for lamb chops since I had no concerns with having a little more fat with my protein. The only caveat regarding eating and purchasing lamb is that the leaner the protein (less fat the meat contains), the more costly it could be. The most expensive lamb cuts would be lamb cutlets and lamb fillet as opposed to lamb T bone chops or leg steaks.
I used a pan to caramelize the exterior of the lamb before transferring them to the oven to cook through, accompanying the butternut squash and tomatoes to allow the lamb to reach my desired cooked preference (medium rare). The first thing to start with in this recipe is to cook the butternut squash since it requires a little more time to cook. Start by turning on the oven, preparing the butternut squash and placing it in the oven. Then move on to spicing the lamb chops with a Morrocan-influenced combo. You could marinade the lamb overnight to enhance the spice concentration. I used a quick and direct spice rub which worked great. I cooked the lamb in a hot pan until lightly browned on the outside, reduced the heat a little and then transferred it to the oven to achieve my preferred doneness. An additional perk in transferring to the oven is that you will place the lamb on top of the nearly cooked butternut squash, onions, and tomatoes which acts like a trivet for the lamb while basting in its intense juices.
WHY LAMB IS A GOOD PROTEIN SOURCE
I prefer and encourage my clients to consume more lamb than beef without going too far into comparisons to different animal proteins. So, why am I making a point of lamb as opposed to beef?
Beef is great. I love steak and appreciate the creatine and carnitine content in addition to the full spectrum of amino acids. However, I feel that beef is overrated compared to more decentralized animals, which can thrive without the need for human interventions. Lamb can live and graze in places cows can not go. They are essentially less tame and more independent. A beef farmer will likely gain more and desire to fatten or invest in more modern breeds for its profit to muscle mass ratio. It just makes better business sense. Lamb contains more omega-3 fatty acids than grass-fed beef but doesn’t compare to cold water oily fish. (Enser et al., 1998)
Lamb is the equivalent of land salmon. Lamb is surprisingly one of the best land sources of essential fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), conjugated linoleic acid, vaccenic acid, and rumenic acid. All these fatty acids have the cardioprotective potential for protecting against cancer and inflammatory disorders. (Chikwanha et al., 2018)
Additionally, lamb can be superior to other red meats with lower allergenicity - “In children with atopic dermatitis and multiple food hypersensitivities, consumption of lamb meat has also resulted in significant clinical improvements in the severity of the eczematous lesions.” Lamb could be a gamechanger for those suffering from eczema, but why? What makes lamb special?
Lamb contains unique fatty acid composition suited for optimal neonatal growth and development. The key differential is fresh meat is 3x more superior with its omega 3 than homogenized (HO) and lyophilized (LIO) baby foods containing lamb.
The results show that the content of total omega-3 polyunsaturated FAs was the highest in FM (more than 3-fold) compared to commercial baby food, due to largely higher contents of α-linolenic acid (1.5-fold higher), eicosapentaenoic acid (6-fold higher), and docosahexaenoic acid (10-fold higher).
Takeaway - get your baby consuming fresh meat, homecooked and well prepared instead of man-made processing. (Nudda et al., 2011)
Finally, for the women out there concerned with lipid markers but also managing and maintaining iron status (with hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), consuming 100 grams of red meat per day did not affect lipid markers and showed improvements in iron markers while the researchers commenting "restricting red meat could have negative health repercussions." (Ortega et al. 1988)
In the female population, such criteria may be associated with impairment of iron status, without affording any greater level of protection against cardiovascular disease, or be of any help in the control of bodyweight.
WHERE TO BUY LAMB:
Lamb is more readily available in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand compared to North America and other parts of the world. You can find it in the majority of the supermarkets with ease. When I purchase lamb, I always try to source from local farmers instead of purchasing New Zealand lamb when the UK has plentifully available.
If lamb is a problem for you to source, try to locate a source online. US wellness meats is a great dispensary and source of various lamb cuts. Check them out HERE.
WHY ADD HERBS AND SPICE TO YOUR MEAT
Using fresh herbs and spices to protect your meat is a wise move, especially when meat or fish is a significant component of your diet. Here are a few reasons I recommend using natural occurring antioxidants in spices when grilling or using high heat techniques.
Potential inhibitors against the formation of mutagenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in heat-processed meat. (Sepahpour et al., 2018)
Hardness, chewiness, and gumminess decreased during marination. (Vişan et al., 2021)
Increase shelf life and reduce microbial pathogens (Vergara, Cózar, and Rubio, 2021)
Protection from liver toxicity induced by herbicides. (Otuechere et al., 2014)
Notably, most spices and herbs have positive effects; however, in this study, "only turmeric and fingerroot were as effective as rosemary in preventing HCA formation" in beef patties. (Puangsombat, Jirapakkul and Smith, 2011)
Honey has noticeable effects in reducing HCA's, which could also be a great addition to this Moroccan spiced lamb recipe. (Shamsudin et al., 2020)
MOROCCAN SPICED LAMB MIX
For this Moroccan-inspired spice mix, I grounded the spices myself in a pestle and mortar instead of the pre-dried spices. Why?
Using spices and herbs can represent biological hazards and concerns with heavy metals. (Cicero et al., 2022) Aluminum and lead are the main culprits, often exceeding safety limits.
Vegetable origin foods that are dried (dehydrated) or fermented are easy targets for molds due to temperature and humidity, producing dangerous metabolites such as mycotoxins inflicting human diseases. (Gan et al., 2017)
Typical origins of spices and herbs produced chiefly from developing countries can have looser health standards and safety practices leading to contamination.
High microbial counts were found in dried spices in retail supermarkets in Spain. These include Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia intermedia, Shigella spp., Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and Hafnia alvei. (Sospedra, Soriano and Mañes, 2010)
Contain mold spores such as Aflatoxin B 1 and Ochratoxin A. (Zhao et al., 2021)
Additionally, sometimes we hear animal-based foods make the news with outbreaks but don't hear a peep with plant foods.
The incidence of pathogen-positive spices imported into the United States is 1.9 times higher than other imported food. Correspondingly, imported spices have been associated with numerous foodborne outbreaks and multiple product recalls. (Gurtler and Keller, 2019)
Toxigenic molds have been frequently recovered from spices, and aflatoxins have been found in as many as 58% of the spices sampled.
Even organic or reputable brand names made no relevance to the number of heavy metals found in dried herbs and spices in US households or sold by retailers.
"When people think about heavy metals in their diet, it's probably the lead in their drinking water. But our tests show that dried herbs and spices can be a surprising and worrisome source." James E. Roger, Ph.D. Director of food safety and testing at Consumer Reports
A study investigating lead in spices such as turmeric found more than 50% of the spice samples had detectable lead, and more than 30% had lead concentrations greater than 2 ppm. Although, the US purchased spices that had less detectable levels than other counties around the world. (Hore, Alex-Oni, Sedlar and Nagin, 2019)
HEALTHY TIPS FOR PURCHASING DRIED HERBS AND SPICES
I rarely use dried herbs due to their dehydrating effect on the digestive tract by pulling water into the bowl. I always prefer to buy fresh herbs with more aromas, color, and texture.
I do use spices when I have good access to a kitchen. Here are a few tips to use when purchasing and using spices in your kitchen.
Purchase organic spices.
Whole spices (not ground). They retain their essential oils and unique compounds longer as their exterior protects from oxygen and light.
Avoid supermarket bulk options. Try to seek a specialist herb and spice or delicatessen for superior quality. Additionally, an online retailer might be better.
Avoid using blends. They typically use cheaper bulk herbs and spices and keep more expensive spices to a minimum. You also have no control of the actual blend/ratio.
Storage. Limit moisture when handling or using. Use an airtight glass container in a dark cupboard.
MOROCCAN LAMB RECIPE
Serves: 2
Skill level: Medium
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
MOROCCAN LAMB INGREDIENTS
2 medium or 4 small lamb chops (ideally 200 grams each)
1 TSP ghee or beef tallow
1 medium red onion - finely sliced (reserving a few slices for garnish)
1 Butternut squash - peeled, deseeded, cubed into inches.
200 grams Cherry vine tomatoes
Spice mix:
1 TSP whole cumin seeds
1/2 TSP ground ginger
1 TSP fennel seeds
1 TSP coriander seeds
1/2 TSP ceylon cinnamon
MOROCCAN LAMB RECIPE
Preheat oven to 200C. Whilst heating, prep the lamb spice mix and prep the butternut squash.
Ground the spices in a pestle and mortar until they’re in a fine powder. Optional add 2-4 garlic cloves to the spice mix. Then rub the spice mix all over the lamb. Set a side.
In an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Add the 1 TSP of ghee. Add the butternut squash and evenly spread out. Transfer to oven and cook for 20 minutes uninterrupted.
Place a wide saucepan on medium high heat. When hot, place each lamb cutlet in a pan. Turn the heat down to a medium. Allow to take on a golden colour for 4 minutes. Watch out for the fat rendering and spitting on you. Turn over and repeat for another 4 or so minutes.
Whilst lamb is cooking. Remove the oven tray from the oven and add the sliced red onions and cherry tomatoes. Return to the oven.
Once the lamb has been browned for 4 minutes per side. Add the lamb to the oven tray on top of the vegetables to cook through for a few minutes.
After a few minutes of the lamb in the oven, remove it from the oven.
Plate up on two plates. Add fresh basil or oregano or rosemary and a few leftover raw red onion slices as a garnish.
Serve and enjoy.
References:
Chikwanha, O., Vahmani, P., Muchenje, V., Dugan, M. and Mapiye, C., 2018. Nutritional enhancement of sheep meat fatty acid profile for human health and wellbeing. Food Research International, 104, pp.25-38.
Cicero, N., Gervasi, T., Durazzo, A., Lucarini, M., Macrì, A., Nava, V., Giarratana, F., Tardugno, R., Vadalà, R. and Santini, A., 2022. Mineral and Microbiological Analysis of Spices and Aromatic Herbs. Foods, 11(4), p.548.
Enser, M., Hallett, K., Hewett, B., Fursey, G., Wood, J. and Harrington, G., 1998. Fatty acid content and composition of UK beef and lamb muscle in relation to production system and implications for human nutrition. Meat Science, 49(3), pp.329-341.
Gan, Y., Wang, L., Yang, G., Dai, J., Wang, R. and Wang, W., 2017. Multiple factors impact the contents of heavy metals in vegetables in high natural background area of China. Chemosphere, 184, pp.1388-1395.
Gurtler, J. and Keller, S., 2019. Microbiological Safety of Dried Spices. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 10(1), pp.409-427.
Hore, P., Alex-Oni, K., Sedlar, S. and Nagin, D., 2019. A Spoonful of Lead: A 10-Year Look at Spices as a Potential Source of Lead Exposure. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(1), pp.S63-S70.
Nudda, A., McGuire, M., Battacone, G., Manca, M., Boe, R. and Pulina, G., 2011. Documentation of Fatty Acid Profiles in Lamb Meat and Lamb-Based Infant Foods. Journal of Food Science, 76(2), pp.H43-H47.
Otuechere, C., Abarikwu, S., Olateju, V., Animashaun, A. and Kale, O., 2014. Protective Effect of Curcumin against the Liver Toxicity Caused by Propanil in Rats. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2014, pp.1-8.
Puangsombat, K., Jirapakkul, W. and Smith, J., 2011. Inhibitory Activity of Asian Spices on Heterocyclic Amines Formation in Cooked Beef Patties. Journal of Food Science, 76(8), pp.T174-T180.
R M Ortega, et al. The influence of meat consumption on dietary data, iron status and serum lipid parameters in young women. Int J Vitam NutrRes 1998;68(4):255-62.
Sepahpour, S., Selamat, J., Khatib, A., Manap, M., Abdull Razis, A. and Hajeb, P., 2018. Inhibitory effect of mixture herbs/spices on formation of heterocyclic amines and mutagenic activity of grilled beef. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 35(10), pp.1911-1927.
Shamsudin, S., Selamat, J., Sanny, M., Jambari, N., Sukor, R., Praveena, S. and Khatib, A., 2020. The Inhibitory Effects of Heterotrigona Itama Honey Marinades on the Formation of Carcinogenic Heterocyclic Amines in Grilled Beef Satay. Molecules, 25(17), p.3874.
Sospedra, I., Soriano, J. and Mañes, J., 2010. Assessment of the Microbiological Safety of Dried Spices and Herbs Commercialized in Spain. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 65(4), pp.364-368.
Vergara, H., Cózar, A. and Rubio, N., 2021. Lamb meat burgers shelf life: effect of the addition of different forms of rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.). CyTA - Journal of Food, 19(1), pp.606-613.
Vişan, V., Chiş, M., Păucean, A., Mureșan, V., Pușcaș, A., Stan, L., Vodnar, D., Dulf, F., Țibulcă, D., Vlaic, B., Rusu, I., Kadar, C. and Vlaic, A., 2021. Influence of Marination with Aromatic Herbs and Cold Pressed Oils on Black Angus Beef Meat. Foods, 10(9), p.2012.
Zhao, X., Jin, X., Lin, Z., Guo, Q., Liu, B., Yuan, Y., Yue, T. and Zhao, X., 2021. Simultaneous Rapid Detection of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A in Spices Using Lateral Flow Immuno-Chromatographic Assay. Foods, 10(11), p.2738.