This lamb’s got Moxie—quite literally. Chef Will Gilson adds a dose of bubbles to succulent lamb belly with a throwback soda-based glaze. You can recreate the popular Puritan & Co. plate at home with a couple of liter bottles (substitute root beer if you’re not a fan of the local tonic), flavor-packed belly and a blended orange puree. The richness of the lamb—dry-rubbed in salt and sugar, then cooked in duck fat—is balanced by the bitter orange and soda syrup. Try your hand at the “distinctively different” recipe below.
Moxie-Glazed Lamb Belly
Details
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the lamb:
- 1 lamb belly, boneless and trimmed square
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 cups duck fat
- 2 1-liter bottles of Moxie soda (root beer can be substituted)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 whole orange
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Korean red pepper paste
Directions
For the lamb:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the lamb belly in a non-porous baking dish. In a bowl, toss the salt and sugar together and then evenly distribute on both sides of the lamb. Allow the lamb to sit under refrigeration for 2-4 hours.
- Rinse off the cure with cold water. Then, place the lamb in an oven-proof baking dish with high sides and cover with the duck fat. Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for 4 hours or until a knife can be inserted into the belly and removed without any resistance. Remove the lamb from the fat and set aside to cool.
- Reduce the soda and stock over medium heat until the mixture becomes becomes syrupy. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine the sugar, water and orange in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot and cook over medium-high heat until the orange is very tender and a knife can be inserted without any resistance.
- Transfer the orange to a high speed blender and add just enough of the cooking liquid to get it to spin smoothly into a purée. Add the oil and pepper paste and blend until combined. Season with salt to finish.
- Portion the cooled belly into 4 pieces. Place the lamb in a skillet over medium heat and crisp up both sides until they are golden brown. Add the glaze to the pan and roll the lamb in the glaze.
- Place a small amount of the orange purée on each plate and place the glazed bellies on top.
