Lamb Riblets

lamb riblets from one of San Francisco's highly regarded
neighborhood restaurant, Nopa

One of the least expensive cuts from the lamb, is a cut we can't sell because we haven't been able to tell people how to cook them. That's all changed!
by Charlie Leck

Riblets ain't easy to cook! That's as emphatically as I can say it. I've struggled with recipes, trying to learn how to do them. I shared my struggle with a friend the other night and he went looking around on the internet and found a recipe that he thought would work. It was at the CHOW web site, which I've often visited. The Nopa, a very highly regarded neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco serves them as a bar snack and they're among the most popular in the restaurant. Here's Nopa's recipe.

Well, my wife has been begging me to find a way to prepare these riblets -- she sells them for only 2 bucks a pound and still can't move them because she can't tell people how to cook them. That's history! She can now give them this recipe and can guaranty folks that it works.

I was alone for dinner tonight. My wife was having dinner out with one of the daughters and then heading for Orchestra Hall and an evening of symphony music. So, I gave them a try. Good? I'm afraid there were none left to let her sample when she got home. Spectacular!

If you're reading this somewhere out of range of my wife's domain, you'll have to ask your butcher to special cut these and he may charge you for it. Don't pay much, however, because this is a part of the lamb that is normally wasted. We charge $2 per lb for these little ribs. Then, give the recipe a try. It's really quite easy to do them and there are plenty of things you can substitute for seasonings and herbs you don't have around. You'll be amazed at how wonderful the little munchies are.

I've discovered that CHOW is a wonderful place to go to find clever and creative recipes for cooking lamb. If you haven't tried it, do.