Our Houston chef friend Chris Shepherd’s cookbook, Cook Like a Local, is inspired by the many local cuisines of his adopted city. A favorite recipe from it, Chris’s tried-and-true “Lamburger Helper,” makes for a great pairing with our own favorite—and very local—Miner wine, The Oracle 2019, produced from two legendary Napa Valley vineyards, Stagecoach and Volker Eisele.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- ¼ cup small-diced white onion
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
- 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta
- 1 pound penne pasta
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground lamb (or substitute ground beef)
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup diced tomato
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cheese Sauce
-
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
-
Add the garlic and onion and sprinkle the flour over.
-
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until the onion and garlic smell fragrant and the flour evenly coats the vegetables.
-
Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add the sambal and hot sauce and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Slowly whisk in the cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pasta + Lamb Mixture
-
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat and add 3 tablespoons of salt.
-
Add the pasta, and cook until just under al dente, about 9 minutes, or a few minutes under what the package directions tell you.
-
Drain the pasta, and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
-
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering-hot.
-
Add the lamb, spread it out to cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes.
-
Drain almost all of the grease from the pan and discard. Stir in the onion and garlic, and continue cooking for 2 minutes, until slightly softened.
-
Add the chile powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, and oregano, and cook for 3 minutes, until very aromatic.
-
Add the tomato and wine and let simmer, stirring frequently so nothing sticks, until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
-
Toss the pasta and lamb mixture together in a large bowl.
-
Fold in the cheese sauce and 1 cup of the cheddar.
-
Pour the mixture into a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and top with the remaining ½-cup cheddar and the cherry tomatoes.
-
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
-
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving big spoonfuls to all your friends.
Original recipe courtesy of Texas Monthly.