Butternut Steaks with Spiced Lamb Ragu & Garlicky Yogurt

From time to time, I get these crazy ideas for a dish and start experimenting in the kitchen. Most of the time these wacky ideas never get published for whatever reason, but once in a while they blow my mind and I can’t wait to write about them. For the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about innovative, healthy meals and really trying to concentrate on portion control. My first instinct is usually a light seafood dish that most likely doesn’t hit the comfort zone in the dead of winter, while surrounded by multiple feet of powder. I was craving something rich, savory, and filling…and healthy. Is that even possible?

The other day, a lightbulb went on and my brain started spitting out crazy ideas. Most of the dishes I create are centered around a protein, while the vegetables are always playing second fiddle.

Screw portion control, why can’t I make the vegetable the star of the show and give the meat a break? That way I can eat enough to fill my belly and not worry about consuming a large portion of something that’s really good for me. Siobhan loves all types of squash so I picked up a few butternuts and cut them into massive “steaks” that looked like bricks of solid gold.

I was going to treat the squash as if I was pan roasting a couple of NY strips. Instead of going the traditional steakhouse route and finishing the “steaks” with a giant glob of flavored butter, I went a rather non traditional route.

I know that squash and pumpkins are rather popular in African and Middle Eastern cuisine, so I decided to make a quick lamb ragu, seasoned with spices that one would typically find in those areas. My plan was to drizzle the spiced ragu over the steak to give it some bold flavors.

I started it off by very finely mincing some garlic and ginger and dicing a carrot into a minuscule, brunoise dice. I sauteed those aromatics before adding the ground lamb that I seasoned with cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, all spice, coriander, nutmeg, chili, red curry powder, sugar, black pepper, and salt. Instantly, the pot became insanely aromatic with sweet and smoky flavors filling the kitchen.


I added a tablespoon of tomato paste and then simmered the mixture in a bold, red wine and some beef broth for about two hours. While the ragu was reducing and intensifying on the stovetop, I seared the butternut “steaks” in a screaming hot pan because I wanted a nice, charred crust on them before I roasted them in the oven.

Due to the size of my “steaks”, they took about an hour and a half in the oven at about 400 degrees; just enough time for my ragu to come together. The color of the squash transformed from a bright yellowish-orange to a deep, brick red as the natural sugars caramelized. Since a classic Bordelaise, Cognac-cream sauce, and even A-1 was out of the question, I made a calorie friendly sauce out of fat free yogurt.

To give it a little flavor, I infused some smashed garlic cloves into a tiny bit of olive oil and whisked the oil into the yogurt along with some fresh lemon juice. I placed the steaming hot steaks into the cool, garlicky yogurt before I drizzled the spiced lamb ragu all over the top.

The flavored juices in the ragu oozed out onto the plate as the warm sauce hit the cool yogurt. I garnished the dish with some cilantro leaves and impatiently waited for the scalding hot bricks to cool down. Not only was this dish really cool looking and colorful, it smelled amazing! The combination of sweet and smoky dried spices with the fresh ginger and garlic had me in sensory overload. We sliced into the butternut squash and realized that it was cooked to perfection.

It fell apart with ease and flopped into the creamy yogurt. The squash was so rich and sweet on its own but when a bite was taken with the lamb it was a match made in heaven. As simple as this was to create, finding a wine to pair it with was somewhat difficult. I finally decided on the 2008 Domaine Chante-Pedrix Chateauneuf du Pape, hailing from the Rhone Valley France. This is a wine that is comprised of Grenache and Syrah that was grown in the top tier vineyard sites of the Rhone Valley.

It’s medium to full bodied despite the fact that the juice is not aged in oak. The Grenache is lively and elegant, with loads of ripe cherry fruit and the Syrah gives the wine a peppery richness. On the finish, I picked up some earthy notes of tobacco and dark espresso beans as well as some interesting primal flavors of roasted red meat juices. Hey, if the dish is comprised around a vegetable, why not have some meat juices in your glass right? I thought that the ripe, fruitiness was perfect with all of the Middle Eastern spices and the overall richness of the wine complimented the savory, comfort level of the dish.

This dinner definitely made me look at vegetables in a different light. The butternut squash didn’t seem out of place one bit. With only a small drizzle of lamb, it was the dominant highlight of the plate and afterwards, we were both stuffed and satisfied. I felt as though I just polished off a giant, braised short rib sitting in a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. I’m glad we got one more healthy meal in because coming up next is my adventure at Boston’s Cochon555 event; Lots and lots pork fat!!!































































