Lunch: Lamb Steak Frites

Recipe by Tony Maws Whole and butterflied leg of lamb are familiar cuts, but steaks cut from the leg are much less common. They're worth trying, especially because they're easy to cook and they cook so quickly. Here, Boston chef Tony Maws pan-roasts the

Ingredients

Two 1 1/4-pound lamb leg steaks, cut about 1 1/4 inches thick
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 small thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 shallot, minced
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
French fries, for serving

Instructions

Rub the lamb with the cumin and fennel; season with salt and pepper. In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil until smoking. Add the lamb and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the thyme, garlic and 4 tablespoons of the butter and cook for 5 minutes, basting the lamb with the butter. Turn the steaks and cook, basting, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130 °, 5 minutes; transfer to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thickly slice against the grain.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Cook the shallot over moderately high heat until softened. Add the wine and simmer until syrupy. Add the stock and simmer until slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the lamb and french fries.