Cuban-style, Lamb & Rice

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons rum (optional)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb chops, trimmed, cut into cubes (3/4-1 inch thick)
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups arborio rice or 2 cups short-grain brown rice
• 2 (14 ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup canned diced tomato
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron thread
• 16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-25 per pound) (optional)
• 2 cups frozen artichoke hearts (fresh or frozen,) or 2 cups cooked green beans, thawed (fresh or frozen,)
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into strips

Recipe

• 1 combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, rum (if using), 2 teaspoons minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a homogeneous paste.
• 2 add lamb and stir to coat.
• 3 marinate lamb 4-24 hours.
• 4 heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• 5 add the lamb, leaving any excess spice mixture in the bowl to add later.
• 6 cook the lamb, stirring, until just cooked on the outside and the spices are very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 7 transfer the lamb to a plate.
• 8 add onion and the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• 9 add rice and cook, stirring, until well coated with the onion mixture.
• 10 stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, saffron and any remaining spice mixture. (if using brown rice, also add 3/4 cup water now.)
• 11 bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes for arborio, 30 minutes for brown rice.
• 12 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 13 stir shrimp (if using) and artichokes (or green beans) into the rice.
• 14 cover and bake for 20 minutes.
• 15 stir in the lamb and any accumulated juices from the plate; scatter roasted peppers on top.
• 16 cover and continue baking until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (if you’ve added shrimp, they should be opaque and pink), 10 to 15 minutes more.