ROASTED LAMB WITH PISTACHIO-YOGURT SAUCE

This pistachio-yogurt sauce is the perfect accompaniment to a simple roasted lamb loin, or any roasted meat! It’s creamy and slightly sweet, with the perfect touch of nuttiness from the pistachios.

INGREDIENTS:

Pistachio-Yogurt Sauce 
1/4 cup sunflower oil
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp chopped pistachios
10 oz Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cumin
1 splash lime juice

Lamb 
1 boneless lamb loin (around 1-1 ½  lbs)
2 tbsp olive oil 
Kosher salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 
2 tsp paprika 
2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp oregano

Tools 
Cutting board 
Chef's knife
Baking sheet 
Food processor or blender
Medium bowl
Large cast iron skillet 
Instant read thermometer

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. For the pistachio-yogurt sauce, toast the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, for about 5-8 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. 
3. Add the pistachios to a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. 
4. With the food processor running, stream in the sunflower oil and blend until smooth and creamy. (Texture should be similar to tahini.)
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
6. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey, cinnamon, cumin, and lime juice. 
7. Fold in the pistachio paste and whisk. At this point, you can drizzle in a bit more oil if the sauce is too thick. 
8. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. 
9. For the lamb, increase the oven temperature to 400°F. 
10. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. 
11. Season the lamb with salt and pepper to taste, then evenly sprinkle the paprika, cumin, and oregano all over the lamb loin. 
12. Add the lamb to the hot skillet and sear on all sides, until golden brown. 
13. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until desired level of doneness is reached. (120°F for med-rare, 130°F for medium, 145°F for med-well.)
14. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. 
15. Cut into 1” thick slices and serve with the delicious pistachio-yogurt sauce!