Madhbi

Name: Madhbi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Gulf Arabian
Ingredients: 1 kg lamb leg or shoulder chops; 2 tsp coarse salt; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 red onion; 2 limes; 2 green chillies

Stone-cooked lamb

Madhbi (مضبي): Dhofari lamb cooked on hot flat stones with just salt

Features:

High protein Dairy free

Cuisine:Gulf Arabian

In the hills around Salalah in Dhofar, southern Oman, madhbi is cooked when families head out into the khareef, the green monsoon season: flat stones are heated on a fire until they shimmer, and pieces of lamb or goat are laid straight on them with nothing but salt. The meat sears hard, keeps its juices and picks up a clean, smoky flavour. At home a heavy cast-iron griddle or skillet heated for a long time does the same job. Eat it with flatbread, raw onion, lime and a fresh chilli. The usual mistake is putting the meat on before the stone is hot enough, so it stews in its own juice. Chef's tip: cut the lamb thin enough to cook through quickly, about 1.5 cm, and keep the bones in for the best flavour.

Total time: 55 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 4

One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

2 ¼ lb lamb leg or shoulder chopsabout 1.5 cm thick, on the bone
2 tsp coarse salt
1 tbsp vegetable oilfor the griddle
1 red onionsliced
2 limesin wedges
2 green chillies (optional)to serve

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (4)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/5 done

Step 1: Take 2 ¼ lb lamb leg or shoulder chops out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and pat it dry. Sprinkle both sides with 2 tsp coarse salt.
30 min
Step 2: Heat a heavy cast-iron griddle or a clean flat stone over a high heat for at least 10 minutes, until a drop of water dances and vanishes at once.
10 min
Step 3: Wipe the griddle with 1 tbsp vegetable oil, then lay on the lamb in a single layer without crowding. Leave it alone until it lifts away with a dark crust.
5 min
Step 4: Turn and cook the other side. Cook to at least 145°F in the centre for medium, or 158°F or more for well done; cook in batches, keeping cooked pieces warm.
15 min
Step 5: Rest the lamb for 5 minutes, then serve with 1 red onion, 2 limes, 2 green chillies and warm flatbread.
5 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 480 kcal
Protein: 46 g
Carbs: 4 g
Fat: 30 g
Fibre: 1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does madhbi take?: About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of red onion?: White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
What can I use instead of limes?: Lemon, same amount.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Pork souvlaki

This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.

32 min

Greek Meat

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach

Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.

225 min

German Meat

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy

Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.

105 min