email this pageCheryl Bennett works to win over a nation of lamb-skeptics. As sales and operations manager of Lava Lake Lamb near Sun Valley, Idaho, she shepherds all online sales at lavalakelamb.com. And it's not unusual to see her—cowboy boots and all—visiting chefs on their turf extolling the delicious other red meat.
What makes Lava Lake Lamb unique is its broader mission of environmental stewardship. Since 1999, Lava Lake Ranch has preserved and restored thousands of acres of wild landscape and is working to protect natural predators like wolves with nonlethal deterrent techniques. That philosophy immediately appealed to Bennett, who was looking for a change in her life when she joined Lava Lake four years ago.
On Lava Lake's organic range, a handful of shepherds and their faithful canine companions watch over the 6,000 free-range sheep that graze on 60,000 acres of natural grasses. These lambs are never inoculated with antibiotics or growth hormones and, unlike their industrially raised cousins, never step hoof on a feedlot. Their grass-fed diet creates a lean meat with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Being so close to the ranch's day-to-day life and enjoying leg of lamb and lamb burgers is a vital component to the Bennett family's food philosophy.
"It's very important to know where and how your food is raised," says the health conscious mother of two. "I see the choice to eat all-natural and organic foods, like our lamb, will serve my kids health in their future."
Recipes courtesy of Lava Lake Lamb, lavalakelamb.com
Grilled Lamb Chops with Kiwi Mango Relish
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2 cups diced mango
1/2 cup diced kiwi
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Chops:
16 rib or loin lamb chops, each 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
1 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
2. To prepare chops, prepare grill. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Cook chops over medium-hot fire 6 to 8 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness. Season with more pepper just before serving. Serve with relish. Serves 6.
Recipe by Liz Mitchell, Hailey, Idaho, courtesy of Lava Lake Lamb, "Holiday Lamb," Relish Nov. 2009.
Pomegranate Roasted Leg of Lamb
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Pomegranate juice has three times the heart healthy polyphenol content found in green tea and red wine.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely grated onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) boneless leg of lamb, rolled and tied
Pomegranate seeds
2. Whisk together all ingredients (except lamb and pomegranate seeds) in a small bowl. Place lamb on roasting rack in roasting pan. Roast 80 to 90 minutes (20 minutes per pound), basting with pomegranate mixture every 15 minutes, until a thermometer reaches 145F for medium-rare, 160F for medium or 170F for well done. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise approximately 10 degrees. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve with pan juices. Serves 10 to 12.
Recipe courtesy of Lave Lake Lamb, "Holiday Lamb," Nov. 2009.
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