Mayberry Wife: Grilled Lamb with Yogurt Sauce

This recipe can be made with either back strap medallions (like what I had) or lamb chops. Last year we raised 3 grass-fed lambs, so we are lucky that we can have this luxury meat often. I served it with a baked potato, garden salad, and grilled corn. It would also be excellent with my recipe for "Garden" Tabbouleh Salad.

DH loves meat with sauces. The cucumber-yogurt sauce is a great accompaniment to the lamb. If you have leftovers you can put the meat in a pita pocket with tomatoes and lettuce and have a great lunch or dinner.

Yogurt is one of those miracle foods. The bacteria in it can strengthen the immune system and help ulcers heal more quickly. It may also help prevent yeast infections. Some evidence shows that yogurt may also work against bacterial infections. As we all know there are large amounts of calcium in milk, but millions of people are lactose intolerant. Yogurt is an easy-to-digest alternative to milk for a couple of reasons. Reason #1: the live bacteria help the body break down the lactose for you, making it less likely to cause discomfort. Reason #2: yogurt contains more calcium per serving than milk. Just 1 cup of yogurt provides more than 40% of the daily value at 414 mg whereas one serving of milk contains only 300mg.

Grilled Lamb with Yogurt Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb. lamb (backstrap medallions or chops)
salt and pepper

SAUCE
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 T lemon juice
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t cumin
1/4 to 1/3 c cucumber, diced small

Directions:
1. Season both sides of lamb with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare grill or grill pan- lightly oil and heat high.

3. Grill lamb for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for rare.

If you like your meat more done than rare follow the next direction:
4. Turn off grill and leave lamb on the grill for 5 minutes longer to reach medium-rare or around 7 or 8 minutes longer -depending on thickness- to reach medium doneness.
(A lot of people like lamb rare. I personally do not. I cooked mine to medium.)