A Closing Act To Be Remembered

Now that we're getting along a bit in the Club's history (13 rounds.....or is it 14?), it's getting to the point where certain dishes are etched on your brain for one reason or another. With the exception of a few disastrous results, more times then not it's because of exceptional taste. Jason spun up one of those golden Thursday Club moments last Thursday. Here's the menu:

- Portobello and Bleu Cheese Salad
- Beer Braised Bratwurst with Caramelized Gala Apples
- Roasted Rack of Lamb with Wild Mushroom Risotto*

* denotes the particular ass-kicking dish mentioned earlier

Things got started with a super rich, appetite-enhancing salad. The earthy sliced mushrooms and the crumbled cheese soaked up all the dressing like a sponge. It went really nicely with the hearty red that was selected (I can't recall the name of the wine.......but it was definitely red). Even though it showcased non-meat items, this flavor packed course definitely got me looking forward to what was left to come.


The second course is one of my favorite combinations. Absolutely one if the best examples of when savory and sweet just click on a different level. Mild sausages worked really nicely with the sweet and sometimes tart apples, and the crisp outer casing also blended with the softened fruit. Amazing, right? That's the way meals are supposed to be set up I guess. I've seen alot of sausages in butchers or grocery stores that combine the 2 flavors in the same casing, but I think alot of the texture that is present in the deconstructed form is lost. I'll eat them though......I'll eat most things.



When we finished up the last bite course two, the big guns were unleashed. Two sizely racks of lamb covered in a mustard-herb paste were on display for us all while the oven was fired up. As you could see through the oven window (you could sell tickets to that shit), the high temperature was going to crust up the outside while keeping the meat moist and juicy.



The smell filled up the apartment, the thermometer hit 143 degrees, they rested (for what seemed like for-friggin-ever), and we dug in. Medium rare and delicious, like lamb has to be. The outer flavoring in no way took away the natural taste of the meat, it actually seemed to enhance the lambiness (wow, don't know where I pulled that one from, but you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about).



Definitely one of those courses to remember.....as long as I don't forget something of importance in it's place, like how to write or chew or something.

I'm going to have to borrow this recipe for certain, and claim it as my own.........just try and stop me.