RECIPE: Gino D’s Arrosticini With Lemon

Allow me to introduce you to Arrosticini…a lot more than just meat on a stick!  Arrosticini can be translated to BBQ lamb skewers, which is one of the most popular and traditional foods of Abruzzo, located in central Italy.  I included a little variation by adding lemon.  Here is what you’ll need for a total of 12 skewers:

4 lamb chops

1 lemon (juice and finely grated zest)

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt/Pepper

4 cloves of chopped garlic

First, trim the fat from the lamb chops, cut the fat into ½ inch pieces and set aside.  Dice the lamb meat into ½ inch cubes and mix with the extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, the juice of one lemon and the finely grated lemon zest.  Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.  Soak the wooden skewers in water for approximately 20 minutes to help prevent burning while on the grill.  When threading the skewers, begin with 3 pieces of lamb, then add a piece of fat before adding another 3 pieces of lamb.  Do not leave any space between the lamb meat and the fat.  Continue the process until you reach the top of the skewer.  Place the lamb skewers on a hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them to cook on all sides.  Once off the grill, drizzle a little more olive oil and serve them hot.  For bonus points, cut a lemon in half and set on the grill for about a minute.  Now you can garnish your Arrosticini with grilled lemon, a branch of rosemary and look like a real grill master.  Buon Appetito!