Cumin and jalapeño rubbed lamb with homemade tzatziki

This recipe is an amalgam of several lamb and grain recipes and takes advantage of a number of things that had been laying around the apartment for some time – the jalapeños that have been drying on our windowsill and a grain mix from Trader Joe's among them. I can't say enough about the wondrous combination of cumin and finely diced jalapeño on the lamb, and Ali's homemade tzatziki was the perfect accompaniment. The meat is cooked to our liking (very rare), but I think it would probably be optimal a bit closer to the medium-rare side.



CUMIN AND JALAPEÑO RUBBED LAMB WITH HOMEMADE TZATZIKI

For lamb:

1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
2 lamb steaks, about 2/3 lb
1 jalapeño, finely diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro

1. Rub lamb steaks with cumin and jalapeño, then place all lamb, cumin, and jalapeño in a ziploc bag. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, and store in the fridge for up to an hour.
2. In a medium-large pan, heat the oil. Place the steaks in the pan. Cook to your liking.
3. Slice thinly and serve over your preferred grains (we used a Trader Joe's mix with Israeli couscous).

For tzatziki:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 kirby cucumber
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

1. Shred the cucumber and dice the garlic.
2. Incorporate them into the yogurt, and add enough olive oil to reach the desired texture.
3. Chill before serving if at all possible, and grind black pepper into it just before serving.