Lamb Loin w/ Trumpet Mushroom Sauce
We were traveling up along the North Shore of Minnesota, the shore along Lake Superior, about 30 minutes north of Duluth. Our destination was a specific restaurant that has a incredible reputation for amazing food despite its remote location, Scenic View Cafe. The restaurant is surrounded by beautiful garden with a view of Lake Superior and the menu was just as gorgeous. As I perused the menu, the Lamb Loin with Morel Mushrooms and a Red Wine sauce jumped off the page. It was delicious and I was determined to recreate something that matched the memory. Flash forward 9 months and I come across some really good looking Lamb Loin. I head to our specialty food store in Hoboken, Basic Foods, and find dried Morel Mushrooms and Trumpet Mushrooms. Ultimately, after reading up on both I decided that the Trumpet Mushrooms would bring an alternative flavor to the dish and with it being dried I can take the water from rehydrating the mushrooms and use in a red wine sauce. With that and a few other fun flavors, such as Mint and Harissa, I created the following recipe. It takes some time, but the end result is well worth the effort for this incredible Lamb Loin. Enjoy!
Lamb Loin w/ Trumpet Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
Lamb
- 2 lamb loins
Brine
- 1 package dried trumpet mushrooms
- 15-20 mint leaves
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp harissa
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
Trumpet Mushroom Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 cup red wine, full body (malbec, rioja)
Instructions
Brine
- Rehydrate trumpet mushrooms according to instructions on package.
- In a ziplock bag add the lamb loins.
- Add all of the ingredients in the 'brine' section of the ingredient list.
- Add the mushroom liquid to the bag.
- Let sit for at least 1/2 hour and up to 24 hours.
Trumpet Mushroom Sauce
- Heat oil then add shallots and 1/2 cup mushrooms.
- Cook for 3 min.
- Add 1/2 cup of red wine.
- Let cook on medium high heat for 5 min.
- Add 1/4 of brine liquid and cook 5 min.
- Add 1/2 cup of red wine and 1 tbsp of butter for 5 min.
- Add 1/4 cup brine liquid, cook 5 minutes.
- Strain removing shallots and mushrooms.
- Add back to pan and cook until syrupy, then turn to low to keep warm.
Grill Lamb Loin
- Season the lamb loin with a little pepper. It should be packed with flavor from the brine.
- Heat grill on medium high.
- Once hot, around 400 degrees F, cook the lamb loin for 3-4 minutes each side.
- Plate the lamb loin with the trumpet mushroom sauce on top. Pair with a quinoa or rice side.