It's grilling season on both coasts and lamb livens the flavor party whenever flame meets grate. So a fine time for a simple but succulent grilled lamb recipe (see video below), and to meet Chef Dean Kahn, another of the local chefs bringing their craft to the Power Supply chef network.
Chef Dean can scarcely remember a time when he wasn’t in a kitchen. Growing up in New York City, he worked alongside his father in the family catering business. The itch to cook having taken firm hold in those early years, he moved on from catering to the restaurant world first in New York and then on to LA.
Along the way picking up influences from notable culinary lights while developing his own style as a chef.
“One of my favorite kitchens to work in was with Chef Wolfgang Puck at Chinois On Main in Santa Monica,” says Chef Dean. From his post as the sous chef for the notable Puck, Dean went on to similar stints at Granita, Rebeccas, and became the Executive Chef at 72 Market Street.
Just as a passion for cooking had gripped him years before, the entrepreneurial bug gave him a chomp and off he went to start his own catering company. Dean’s Catering offered the chance to put his unique stamp on the product, to make his own hours again, and to take back some time for passions beyond the kitchen like surfing.
There used to be a phrase, “never trust a skinny chef.” Don’t believe it. Dean’s routine when he puts down the chef knife? Getting outside, being active, always running around during work and staying on his feet. And putting his two surf boards and his bike to work as often as possible.
Passion for work, passion for play, passion for fueling folks up with great food so they can do both better? All stuff we can identify with and why it’s so rewarding to work with like minded souls like Dean and the other local chefs in the Power Supply network.
It’s also rewarding to take some inspiration from their recipes for your home cooking efforts. Here’s a good one for giving your grill and your blender a go… Chef Dean’s famous rack of lamb with cilantro mint sauce. Enjoy, and here’s to eating well wherever you find it.
Lamb marinade
Mix together equal parts liquid aminos (or mushroom soy sauce) and mirin, toss in some chili flakes and marinade lamb in ziploc bag in fridge for as long as your prep time will allow, ideally 30 minutes, overnight best if you can make it happen.
Cilantro mint sauce
2 Egg yolks
Pinch of Chili flakes
Cilantro (bout a cup of fresh leaves), chopped
Mint, (bout a 1/2 cup of fresh leaves), chopped
3 T Pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil, add until thickened
Rice wine vinegar, to top of blender blades
Blend vinegar, egg yolks, chili flakes, cilantro, mint, pine nuts and salt and pepper for about a minute. Scrape ingredients from sides of blender, blend again while slowly adding oil until slightly thickened. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
Then grill up your lamb chops, sauce it up and enjoy. For you grillers out there, a two stage approach works well. I.e. 4-5 minutes a side over medium-high, direct heat for browning all over. Then another 15 minutes or so over indirect heat at lower temperature, or until your instant read thermometer hits the temp you want.