The American Lamb Board hosted a two-day lamb retreat for the winning chefs of Lamb Jam Restaurant Month.

Day one of the retreat included an educational butchery demonstration led by Culinary Institute of America instructor Chef David Kamen, where culinary students gathered around for the demo followed by the six chef teams cooking their winning lamb dishes together. This was a friendly competition and family-style lamb feast.

The following winning chefs and their dishes included:

• John Bates with InterStellar BBQ, Austin - Lamb Picadillo Tostado.
• Lambert Givens with Hunters Kitchen & Bar, Boston - Lamb Croquette with Pesto Tzatziki.
• Jason Halverson with The Madrigal, San Francisco - Cumin Spiced Lamb.
• Demetri Mechelis with Martha Dear, Washington D.C. - Lamb & Hummus with Sourdough Pita.
• Nicco Muratore with Mamnoon, Seattle - Braised and Pressed Lamb Croquette.
• Bo Porytko with Misfit Snack & Bar, Denver - Emotional Cabbage: Stuffed Lamb Loin.

Chef Demetri Mechelis’s Lamb & Hummus with Sourdough Pita dish won.

Day two included a lamb ranch tour where California producer Joe Pozzi spoke to the chefs about regenerative agriculture practices and sheep grazing in the local vineyards. The retreat ended with a Lamb Barbeque lunch and Q&A session.

“Our goal with these events is to build a network of lambassador chefs through the annual Lamb Jam Finale retreat that truly gives them the understanding of the benefits of sourcing American Lamb for their restaurant menus,” said Peter Camino, ALB chair. “We also hope this builds a collaborative relationship that informs effective foodservice programs, too.”

Source: American Lamb Board