Name of event: St. Patrick's Day Weekend at VU Rooftop Bar
Date: March 16 and March 17
Hours: 4pm to close
Address: 133 East Cermak, Chicago
For more information about VU Rooftop, visit https://www.vurooftop.com/
Name of dish: VU's Irish Lamb Sliders
Ingredients:
Makes about 24 sliders
2doz. Mini potato buns
1ea. Lamb Shoulder, boneless (5-7#)
8oz. Leeks, large dice
8oz. Carrots, peeled, large dice
8oz. Celery, large dice
6ea. Garlic cloves, smashed
1Tbs Kosher salt
1tsp black pepper, fresh ground
3ea. Bay leaves
3oz. Vegetable oil
2 pint SmithWicks Red Ale
Preparation:
Method:
- Preheat oven to 300 and set the leprechaun trap.
- Season the lamb shoulder with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow, large bottomed pot (with a lid), heat 2oz. vegetable oil over a med/high flame. Once the oil starts to smoke slightly, carefully add the lamb and begin to sear the meat, turning periodically as to evenly brown all sides.
- Once the lamb is evenly browned, pull from the pan and lower heat to medium. Add the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Begin to sweat gently.
- Once the vegetables are sweat and the leeks begin to become translucent, add the bay leaves and deglaze with 2 pints of ale.
- Bring ale and vegetables to a boil, lower to a simmer.
- Add the lamb back to the pan and continue to simmer.
- Cover the pot and place in oven for 1.5 hours or until the lamb is tender
- Remove the pot from the oven and leave lamb in stock at room temperature for 1hour.
- Remove the lamb from the stock (reserve the stock) and pull the meat into stands.
- Strain the cooking liquid and return to the pot along with the pulled lamb meat. Return the stock to a simmer and heat the pulled meat through.
Garlic Aioli
1/2 oz. garlic, fresh, chopped finely
2cup mayonnaise
2tsp garlic powder
2oz. lemon juice
- Add all ingredients together and whisk thoroughly.
Cabbage
1 head green cabbage
2 cup chicken broth
2oz. cider vinegar
1Tbs Kosher salt
Cut the green cabbage in eighths.
- Place in the pot with the chicken broth, vinegar and salt.
- Bring liquid to a simmer and cover the pot with a tight lid.
- Braise the cabbage for approximately 1 hour.
To assemble the sliders
- Lightly butter the potato buns on both sides. Toast the buns lightly golden
- Spread a small amount of the garlic aioli across the bun
- Add about 2oz. of braised lamb to each bun
- Add desired amount of cabbage
- Add the top bun (top of the bun to ya!)
- Eat, drink and be merry!