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OK, so first the quest for Tamarind Concentrate. Since it's used semi-frequently in Southeast Asian (particularly Thai), Indian, Mexican/Caribbean, and African cooking, I thought it might be easier to find -- even in *white bread* Minneapolis -- than it proved to be. I found it easily enough on-line, but didn't want to wait, plus I thought I might save a bit on shipping. (HAH!)
So, I went to five stores, including two large-ish local grocery chains albeit in neighborhoods which had a higher concentration of Asian and/or Indian emigres. Nothing. I found Tamarind Nectar (Mexican), which was too sweet for what I needed and Tamarind chutney. Finally, I managed to find some in Whole Foods. It was a bit on the pricy side. Next time around I'm going to look in the ethnic markets I know about, and possibly think ahead and buy on-line.
Was The Caribbean Lamb (from 200 Low Carb Slow Cooker Recipes) worth it? Eh, perhaps not so much. I do like the flavor of the Tamarind. And the elements of the dish were individually quite nice. They just didn't work together as I'd hoped.
Caribbean Slow Cooker Lamb
2-3 lb leg of lamb.
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic or one clove crushed
1 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tsp hot sauce -- Carribbean Scotch Bonnet (or similar habanero-based sauce) -- to taste
guar or xanthan (optional)
Put lamb in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients (except guar/xanthan) in a bowl. Pour over lamb. Cover and set on LOW. Let it cook for a good 8 hours. When done, remove lamb to a serving platter. If needed, thicken juices with the guar or xanthan, and add salt and pepper to taste.
I put some dried mushrooms on the bottom of the pot, which worked out OK. As to taste, I doubled the mustard and added more habanero sauce, but it was still extremely bland. The sauce was also REALLY soupy. Also, I prefer my leg of lamb to be crispy on the outside and pink, moist and tender on the inside. The lamb was certainly fork tender, but somehow seemed oddly dry.
This might work well with lamb shanks, which start out much tougher than leg o' lamb. But I'd tweak the recipe A LOT. I'd triple (at least) the garlic, mustard, tamarind and habanero (but I DO like spicy). And I'd probably use a couple of tbsp tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes. I can see using this as a marinade for a leg o' lamb that I plan to roast... But no more leg o' lamb in the crockpot for me.
Tonight I'm planning a spicy chicken & mushroom soup...with flavors of India. :)
So, I went to five stores, including two large-ish local grocery chains albeit in neighborhoods which had a higher concentration of Asian and/or Indian emigres. Nothing. I found Tamarind Nectar (Mexican), which was too sweet for what I needed and Tamarind chutney. Finally, I managed to find some in Whole Foods. It was a bit on the pricy side. Next time around I'm going to look in the ethnic markets I know about, and possibly think ahead and buy on-line.
Was The Caribbean Lamb (from 200 Low Carb Slow Cooker Recipes) worth it? Eh, perhaps not so much. I do like the flavor of the Tamarind. And the elements of the dish were individually quite nice. They just didn't work together as I'd hoped.
Caribbean Slow Cooker Lamb
2-3 lb leg of lamb.
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic or one clove crushed
1 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tsp hot sauce -- Carribbean Scotch Bonnet (or similar habanero-based sauce) -- to taste
guar or xanthan (optional)
Put lamb in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients (except guar/xanthan) in a bowl. Pour over lamb. Cover and set on LOW. Let it cook for a good 8 hours. When done, remove lamb to a serving platter. If needed, thicken juices with the guar or xanthan, and add salt and pepper to taste.
I put some dried mushrooms on the bottom of the pot, which worked out OK. As to taste, I doubled the mustard and added more habanero sauce, but it was still extremely bland. The sauce was also REALLY soupy. Also, I prefer my leg of lamb to be crispy on the outside and pink, moist and tender on the inside. The lamb was certainly fork tender, but somehow seemed oddly dry.
This might work well with lamb shanks, which start out much tougher than leg o' lamb. But I'd tweak the recipe A LOT. I'd triple (at least) the garlic, mustard, tamarind and habanero (but I DO like spicy). And I'd probably use a couple of tbsp tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes. I can see using this as a marinade for a leg o' lamb that I plan to roast... But no more leg o' lamb in the crockpot for me.
Tonight I'm planning a spicy chicken & mushroom soup...with flavors of India. :)
