Spicy Lamb Chili

Shake up a cold weather classic with lamb and a little heat

Thank you for being here! I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate it. This month, I’m participating in Substack Go, a program that links up writers with other writers and provides tools to improve and grow a newsletter. It’s been a hugely rewarding experience so far, and I hope to use these new tools to bring you better content every week.

But I need your help, too! If you enjoy reading Makans of a Chef, please take a moment to send it to someone else who might enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe. No spam emails, no ads, just writing and recipes for people who love to eat well. Thank you again—the support from this community keeps me going.

Love,

Jenny

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Cheesman Park, Denver, CO. February 2021.

Weighted Blanket vs. Snow Globe

My first Colorado snowstorm happened less than a month after I moved to Denver in 2019. It was the first week of October. October. I, a hardened Midwesterner, a lake effect snow survivor, was stunned. Complaining about winter weather is an Olympic sport in the Midwest. If you can appear tough and unbothered while subtly complaining, say hello to the podium.

Meantime, Denverites see a forecast for six inches of snow in early October and it’s like, “Sweet, guess I’m skiing to work on Thursday.” Keep in mind, I’m not talking about the mountains. I’m talking about Denver, chilling on the plains east of the foothills. Olympically unbothered by a snowstorm weeks before Halloween.

I will say, the snow in Colorado tends to be of the “I’m frolicking in a snow globe” variety. Not the “a weighted blanket has fallen from the sky” kind you get east of the Mississippi. Snow texture has a significant impact on one’s attitude.

So does food.

What I remember most about that early October snowstorm was the 4 a.m. “chili party” in the newsroom to keep us warm and cheerful for a long morning of weather coverage. I brought a chili made with ground turkey and pumpkin pureé to remind myself that it was indeed autumn.

The same Feb. 2021 snowstorm feat. a woman skiing in the park at 8 am and a lot of happy dogs. If that ain’t Denver…

Since we are now in the “snowstorm every week” phase of winter in Colorado, chili has been on the brain. But making it the same way every time gets boring.

That’s why I love the recipe I’m sharing with you today. It uses lamb instead of ground beef or pork. It has tons of warming, satisfying spices. Harissa paste gives it lots of heat (if you want it). My partner got the original recipe from Feed Me Phoebe on a “weighted blanket” Midwestern winter day. We’ve made some tweaks over the years, including adding more to the spice mix.

For my vegetarian and vegan friends out there, I got you. Replace the meat with one cup of lentils and the beef stock with veggie stock. You may need more veggie stock because the lentils will soak up a lot of liquid while cooking. Keep the Greek yogurt or swap out for a dairy-free version.

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Ingredients: Spicy Lamb Chili

• 1 lb. ground lamb

• 1 medium yellow onion

• 2-4 TB harissa

  • Don’t use a lot of harissa if you don’t like your chili super spicy

  • Harissa is a spicy chili paste used in a lot of north African cuisine. It’s something I do buy off the shelf because my partner tried to make it at home once and ended up fleeing the house to protect his eyes from the pepper spray he accidentally concocted.

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 15 oz can of chickpeas

• 15 oz can diced tomatoes

• Fresh kale (4-5 leaves)

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 4 c beef stock

• 2 T cumin

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp cardamom

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 2-4 TB olive oil

For serving:

• Greek yogurt

• Fresh mint

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1. Mis en place¹ is important for this recipe because comes together more quickly than you might expect. Peel the sweet potato and dice it into quarter-inch cubes. You want them to be small so they cook quickly and evenly, but not so small they get lost in a spoonful.

   Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Open the can of tomatoes. (If you are making the vegetarian version, rinse the lentils and pick through them to get rid of any debris or shriveled seeds.) If you’re feeling really ambitious, wash and chop the kale and mince some fresh mint. Those two tasks can also wait till later.

2. Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Splash in just a little bit of olive oil, because lamb tends to be quite lean. Add the lamb and brown it, breaking it up as much as you can. Add a teaspoon of salt. When the meat is cooked through, drain and remove the lamb from the pot to add back in later.

3. Put the pot back on the heat and add a touch more olive oil. Drop in the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes, until they’re translucent and smell amazing. Add the garlic and stir another minute. Add the harissa paste and stir.

4. Add in the sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, and chickpeas. Cover with the beef stock and stir. Add the cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and turmeric and stir again.

5. Bring the chili to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. If you haven’t done the kale and mint yet, now is the time. The chili has simmered long enough when the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

6. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the kale. Taste. Salt as necessary. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh mint. Let the chili warm you up inside and out.

1. A French term meaning to “put in place”. The idea is to organize everything you need before you begin cooking. Mis en place is crucial in professional kitchens to prevent mess and mistakes. Can’t run around the kitchen in a panic if everything you need is right in front of you!