Secrets to impress your dinner party guests, from Head Chef Jarrod Walsh.
Alright, gather ’round because we’re about to dive headfirst into a flavour fiesta that’ll knock your customised in-room dressing gowns off. Tender Margra Lamb Ribs, infused with the zesty punch of native tamarind and pepperberry and the smoky allure of pastrami spice. Sounds like a journey worth embarking on, doesn’t it? Well, it’s your lucky day — we’re about to unravel the secrets behind this mouthwatering creation straight from Longshore’s very own Head Chef, Jarrod Walsh. In his words “this one’s been a hit since day dot. It’s pretty easy to make at home and the ingredients are fairly accessible”.
Before you start — we’ve popped a booking link down below for those of you in need of a little extra inspiration. Hot tip: This one should take a day or two with marination but the process is fairly chill (we promise!) — it’s designed to impress! Whip it up for a big family gathering, a late lunch to impress your in-laws, a dinner party or anything else celebratory.
There are a couple of key elements to nailing this dish, both are wonderful to add to your repertoire on their own. First things first, you’ll need to make the Longshore pastrami spice and the Native Tamarind Glaze — fear not, it’s super simple and packs a real punch.
Native Tamarind and Pepper Berry Pastrami Margra Lamb Ribs
What you’ll need:
1 Rack Margra Lamb Riblets
1L water
60g cooking salt
10g coriander seed
10g fennel seed
15g native pepper berry
10g whole dried chilli
3 star anise
1 sliced lemon
½ bunch lemon thyme
1 x sprig rosemary
4 bay leaves
200g Longshore pastrami spice (Scroll down)
150gm Longshore Native tamarind glaze (Scroll down)
Get the Brine Going: Dump all those flavour-packed ingredients into a pot (everything but the Pastrami Spice and Native Tamarind Glaze). Fire it up until it’s boiling, then let it cool down in the fridge until it’s just chillin’ at room temp.
TAKE A MOMENT TO COOOOL…
Dunk the Ribs: Take that rack of Margra Lamb and dunk it headfirst into your chilled-out brine. Let it soak up all that flavour for a solid 12-hour swim in the fridge. Think of it ase a lamb spa day.
12 HOURS LATER….
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub: After its brine bath, haul that lamb out and give it a good rinse under cold water. Scrub off any brine clinging to it. Once it’s squeaky clean, pat it dry with some paper towels.
Wrap and Bake: Lay your lamb rack on some baking paper and swaddle it up like a little burrito in aluminium foil not once, but twice, to keep all that flavour locked in. Pop it in the oven at a lazy 75°C and forget about it for 12 hours. Time to let the oven do the heavy lifting.
ANOTHER 12 HOURS LATER….
Chill Out: Once your lamb’s cooked through, let it chill out in the fridge until it’s as cool as a cucumber.
Slice and Sizzle: Grab a knife and slice your chilled lamb rack into individual ribs, deep fry some oil to roughly 200°C and fry them until they’re golden and crispy.
Brush and Char: Brush those ribs with that tangy native tamarind glaze (scroll down!) and throw them on the grill. Char nice and slowwwwly, do not burn. Brush again with that glaze for an extra kick, then hit them with a generous dusting of pastrami spice (scroll!).
And there you have it, your very own Native Tamarind and Pepper Berry Pastrami Margra Lamb Ribs, ready for the final flourishes.
Native Tamarind Glaze
440 g Native Tamarind
440 g tomato pulp (skin a tomato and mash)
600 g brown sugar
200 g mirin
200 g GF soy or tamari
160 g red miso paste
Fruit Prep: Get your hands on some native tamarind fruit — you can get these at Harris Farm. Remove the seeds. Keep only the vibrant red flesh — that’s where the flavour is.
Mix and Roast: Throw that gorgeous red flesh into a deep roasting dish along with all the other glaze ingredients. Give it a good mix and pop it in the oven at 160°C. Let it roast away until it’s soft and fragrant (around 25 to 40 min) soaking up all those delicious flavours. Don’t let it burn!
Slow Cookin’ It: Once your mix is nice and roasted, transfer it into a bowl and set it up to slow cook in a deep pot. Let simmer.
Blend to Smoothness: When everything’s cooked down to perfection, transfer it into a blender and hit that button until it’s silky smooth. Think velvety, luscious goodness that’ll coat your ribs like a dream.
Pepperberry Pastrami Mix
250g coriander seeds
250 g fennel seeds
100 g black peppercorns
150 g pepperberries
30 g chilli flakes
200 g brown sugar
30 g ascorbic acid — basically this is Vitamin C, you’ll find it here.
Salt to taste
Toast and Grind: Toast each spice separately to bring out their flavours then grind all together into coarse pieces using a mortar and pestle or a quick pulse in a food processor.
Combine: Mix all the ground spices together and add fine salt to taste. Blend until well combined.