Ingredients
Ingredients
Spice Paste
2 green onions, white tips removed, chopped
1/2 hot red chile, preferably Scotch Bonnet, seeded and finely chopped (wear gloves)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
6 allspice berries
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Homecoming Lamb
4 (4.5-ounce) lamb rumps (top round lamb)
3 tablespoons sunflower or groundnut oil (peanut)
1/3 cup water
4 ounces Jamaican or Irish stout
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
Preparation
DIRECTIONS For the paste: Pound the green onions, chile, mint leaves, allspice berries, thyme leaves, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pestle, grinding them as hard as you can.
For the lamb: Wash the lamb rumps and pat them dry with paper towels. Mix the spice paste with the lamb in a bowl, using your hands to get it well coated. Cover the bowl, and let the meat rest for at least 1 hour, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan. Once hot, add the lamb. Immediately cover the pan with a lid, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 minutes.
Swirl the water in the bowl in which the lamb was marinated and add the liquid to the pan. Cover once again and cook for another 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the stout and brown sugar. Now, remove the lid, add the stout mixture, and bring everything to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, and cook for around 8 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked through. The cooking juices should evaporate, leaving you with a lovely, dark and glossy stew with a bitter, hot, and sweet flavor.
Garnish the dish with fresh mint sprigs and serve with Rice and Peas.
