Lamb Steaks with Mint and Broad Beans

Lamb Steaks with Mint and Broad Beans from the Hairy Dieters is an exquisite dish that seems somewhat out of place in their ‘Fast Food’ book – recipes which supposedly can be prepped and cooked in 30 minutes. It is somewhat stretching the truth to say you can create this in half an hour. In fact, it’s total bollocks.

But this is a fantastic recipe which will turn out perfectly as long as you give it some TLC. Firstly, marinate the lamb for more than 10 minutes (I marinated mine for a couple of hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon) and secondly, although you don’t have to, I’d recommend ‘de-podding’ the broad beans as they taste and look better with the skins taken off. This is a labour of love though!

I’m so pleased I took the time to make this meal and it went down extremely well in my household. If you’re wondering what to do with the remaining broad beans, try chicken and broad bean pilaf and leave out the chicken for a vegetarian friendly version.

Recipe: Lamb Steaks with Mint and Broad Beans

Calories: 406 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: Hairy Dieters – Fast Food

Prep time: Approx 30 mins

Cooking time: Approx 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 lamb steaks, about 150g each
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp dried mint
• ½ tsp sugar, honey or pomegranate molasses
• 1 tsp cumin (optional)

For the broad beans:

• 500g frozen broad beans, defrosted
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• Grated zest of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp cumin
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 200ml hot chicken stock or water
• 200g canned tomatoes
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
• Small bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
• Flaked sea salt
• Ground black pepper

Cost per portion: Approx £2.99

Method:

We’ve suggested marinating the lamb steaks briefly for extra flavour here. Yes, marinating and cooking all in 30 minutes seems a tall order but it can be done and is well worth it. The broad beans are a perfect accompaniment. We always have some broad beans in the freezer and this dish of beans stewed with tomatoes and spices turns them into something special.

First marinate the lamb. Trim the lamb of any fat. Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl with the mint, sugar, honey or pomegranate molasses and the cumin, if using. Rub the mixture into the lamb steaks and leave them for at least 10 minutes, preferably a little longer. (If you have the chance to do this in advance, so much the better.)

Put the broad beans in a heatproof bowl, pour over some boiling water and leave for a minute or so while the beans defrost. Drain and set aside.

While the lamb is marinating, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently over a medium heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic, lemon zest, spices and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, then add the broad beans and the stock or water.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.

At this point, put a griddle pan on the hob to heat up – it will need at least 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses to the broad beans and leave to simmer gently while you cook the lamb.

Shake off any excess marinade from the lamb steaks, then place them on the griddle. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until well charred on the outside but still pink in the middle. Remove from the griddle and allow them to rest for a few minutes.

Serve the lamb steaks with the broad beans, garnished with finely chopped parsley.