Before we get to the easy spice lamb backstrap dinner, let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

The vast majority of dinners cooked by home cooks day in, day out, aren’t Instagrammable. They’re nutritious, simple, practical, and hopefully quick. A palmful-sized amount of grilled or pan-fried meat with steamed vegetables isn’t sexy, but it’s what we should be eating for dinner most of the time.

What is sexy is independence. That the cooking is done, and the food is nutritious, because you don’t want to relying on someone for the rest of your life. It’s still the stuff of life. This elevates an easy spice lamb backstrap dinner to a thing of beauty, and a celebration of the everyday.

For another super easy dinner, try this stir fry.

All are architects of Fate,
Working in these walls of Time;
Some with massive deeds and great,
Some with ornaments of rhyme.
Nothing useless is, or low;
Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, excerpt from “The Builders” ^{_{https://www.hwlongfellow.org}}

Ingredients

2-3 lamb backstraps (approx 800 grams), depending on size and thickness
1 cup couscous (can skip the couscous for gluten free or instead use polenta, see packet for directions)
3 corn cobs, cut into chunks
2 bunches asparagus, prepared
2 bunches broccolini
2 tbsp soy sauce (optional, gluten free if required)
2 tsp cumin (alternately a spice mix to your taste eg Moroccan)
1 tbsp dried herbs eg basil
olive oil
butter
salt, pepper

Instructions

Cut the backstraps into halves or thirds. Rub backstraps with soy sauce (if using), spice and herb mixture of choice and a splash of olive oil. Marinade covered in a bowl in fridge for at least a few hours.
Preheat oven to 220℃/428℉.
Place prepared asparagus, broccolini and corn in a single layer on baking sheet on baking tray. Splash with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, turning half way.
Put cous cous in a bowl, with a small knob of butter, and have a sheet of foil handy.
After the vegetables have been baking for 10 minutes, heat frying pan to medium hot and add the backstraps. Increase heat if start to broil, then reduce heat. For medium, cook for a solid 4 minutes on one side, before turning. Thicker cuts may require 5 minutes a side.
Boil the kettle, and add one cup of boiling water to the cous cous in the bowl. Cover tightly with foil and leave it for five minutes.
When the lamb has cooked, remove from heat and allow to rest for five minutes, covered with foil. If at any doubt at all about the lamb, I like to slice it a little while still in the pan to see how it's cooking. But four minutes per side for medium is usually the go-to.
Fluff the cous cous with a fork. Serve lamb (sliced or as is) with cous cous and roasted vegetables.

Hello!

Easy Spice Lamb Backstrap Dinner