After a year off, Lamb Jam returned to Seattle this past weekend, with 16 chefs preparing dishes utilizing different parts of the lamb. In the “it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it” spirit, I joined a group of my food writing colleagues at the judging table to pick winners in four categories — Ground Lamb, Leg, Shank, and Shoulder — as well as an overall Best in Show winner to go to the SAVOR the Central Coast Food and Wine Festival sponsored by Sunset magazine in September 2014.
The Best in Show winner: Sarah Lorenzen of Andaluca for her fresh lamb sausage in socca (a chickpea flour crepe) with pomegranate tomato jam. Lorenzen was the winner in the Ground Lamb category, which also produced the winner of the People’s Choice Award: Bobby Moore of Barking Frog, for his lamb chorizo sweet potato croquettes with maple gastrique.
Other category winners included:
- Leg: Jason Stoneburner of Stoneburner for his lamb sausage “banh mi” with preserved green cayenne and cucumber/pickled relish
- Shank: Dan Gilmore of Hunt Club for his spice-rubbed confit lamb shank with sage grits, pickled chanterelle relish, and stewed tomato sauce
- Shoulder: Sabastian Carosi of Muddy Waters (Vancouver, WA) for his lamb shoulder burger with wild local chanterelles, truffle catsup, and Beecher’s Flagship cheese on a homemade sesame seed bun
Attendees (the people in the People’s Choice Award) enjoyed lamb dishes from 15 chefs in the state, plus a build-your-own lamb nacho and taco bar from Mark Hosack of Gracie’s in Portland, Best in Show winner of last year’s Lamb Jam in Portland. The event also featured local beer, wine, and spirits, as well as a lamb butchery demonstration and some non-lamb bites to eat.
Check out the slideshow above for a look at all of the lamb dishes in this year’s Lamb Jam competition.
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