Lamb Kebab on Rosemary Skewers

With a shoulder of lamb on hand and a fierce craving for Greek food, I thought lamb kebabs would hit the spot. We are very fortunate to have friends who supply us with organic lamb from their family farm. It is the most flavorful and succulent lamb we've ever had. So far this year I've made gorgeous lamb chops and my boyfriend smoked a leg of lamb which was so delicious that five of us were able to polish it off no problem. In both cases, we loved it so much that we didn't even have time to take photos. Next time, I promise.

I've always been intrigued about using rosemary sprigs as skewers and given that we were grilling lamb, what a great time to try them out. I was so excited to give them a go since I love fresh rosemary but I thought they would be a lot more difficult to use. Turns out, with a little sharpening of the ends of the rosemary tips, they were as simple to use as regular wooden skewers.

While eating these lamb kebabs my boyfriend and I repeated over and over, "this is so delicious, this is the only way we are eating lamb from now on!" The skewers were a perfect balance to the gorgeous lamb and don't even get me started on the amazing tzatziki from Kalyn's Kitchen we served it with. My intense craving for Greek food could have only been more satisfied had we actually visited the Country itself.

RECIPE:
1lb lamb shoulder, cubed (1")
8 thick, large rosemary skewers
1/4 tsp garlic, finely grated
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 TBSP olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the rosemary skewers in a large bowl. Toss everything together so the lamb cubes are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate the lamb for about an hour. Meanwhile, remove all of the rosemary leaves from the stem leaving about an inch of the leaves at the bottom of the stem. If the end of the stems aren't sharp enough to thread the lamb, use a pairing knife and peel away some of the stem into a point. Prepare your grill. After the lamb has marinated, remove from fridge and gently thread the meat onto the skewers. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve these with this fantastic Tzatziki and some pita.