Curry Spinach Grass Fed Lamb [Low Carb]

I am sure there are already a million Indian lamb curry recipes out there, but I just wanted to share ours since this was fantastic. We used some ground lamb from our local grass fed farmers at John Pope's Farm here in the Carrboro area. Tim and Bob are great guys who not only treat their flock well and ensure humane Halal/Kosher slaughter for us, but they are active in local politics. A simple trip to the farmer's market here down the road becomes an adventure in current issues and the problems with farm subsidies and big government intervention, which hurts the small grass fed farmers here. Well, I'll get to the politics of that later, but for now I defer you to the video posted below. On to the oh-so-delicious and healthy hormone and antibiotic free grass fed lambies! :)

1 lb. grass fed lamb
5 cloves fresh garlic
1/2" piece fresh ginger root
2 c. frozen chopped spinach
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. organic lite coconut milk

Seasonings:
sea salt
pepper
1 T. hot curry powder or turmeric
2 T. curry powder
pinch caradmon (optional)
dash crushed red pepper flakes

In a food processor, mince the garlic and ginger together. If you like a little heat, a seeded red chili or a jalapeño would be a nice addition to the garlic and ginger for mincing.

In a large frying pan or electric skillet, saute the ground lamb with the extra virgin olive oil, and garlic-ginger mix. I cooked the lamb on medium low heat (~4 on my stove, or about 250-275 degrees in an electric skillet) for about 5-7 minutes until the meat is about half done. As the meat slowly cooks, add the spices and adjust the amounts to taste. You may want to add a little more extra virgin olive oil, I did not here.

Add the frozen spinach and coconut milk, mix well, and cover. Let cook on low heat for another 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Remember that grass fed meat cooks quickly, so always err on the side of less done. Remove the pan with the lamb from the hot eye immediately since the lean lamb will overcook.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and sea salt. I served this with some spicy steamed turnip and collard greens. If you a more in a mood for Mediterranean style lamb, try my Greek Lamb with Roasted Red Pepper and Kale. Personally, I have been in a curry mood since it helps to heal irritated tummy and bowels, as I discussed recently in my Curry Artichoke Bison burger recipe.

If you've never had grass fed meat, the taste of this grass fed lamb is simply phenomenal. It tastes much better than conventional meat. It's also far more humane, as conventional meat comes from overcrowded and badly treated animals. The poorly treated animals actually have a worse nutritional profile and are higher in fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol than their free range grass fed cousins. The grain feed (corn and soy generally) given to conventional lamb, cows, chickens, etc raises their saturated fat and lowers the good Omega 3 fats in the meat. Besides all of the technical details, you literally are what you eat! - how that animal lived and ended its life is vital to your health. This is an oversight of pure Kosher laws which do not necessarily require the animal to be well treated during its life. The focus there is on the "humane" killing so the animal doesn't suffer. Historically, there was no reason for Kosher rules to specify how an animal lived; all livestock was "grass fed" and free range. There were no government subsidies for big corporate farms which shove animals through their production lines trying to increase profits. Heck, there weren't even big farms or haciendas, and the feed was not the genetically engineered mass produced soy or corn junk that it is now. Now the era of big everything and a faster tempo of life demand the utmost in efficiency (hence the big farms). This being life as it is now, it is critical to secure a meat source which is well treated during its life as well as well as painless put down. Karina touched on this in her turkey-pardon Thanksgiving post.

Many others, like By-the-Bay and Book of Yum, offer vegan and vegetarian options for the holidays. If vegan is your thing, great! If not, and you do chose to eat meat, I hope you will stop and consider the life that the animal had. You are taking in that animals energy, both mundanely, as given in the meat's fat and protein profile, but also spiritually. We try our best to "meet our meat" by really getting to know the farmers we buy from and even visiting the farms. Hogan's grass fed beef, for instance, is right across the road; they let us wander around on their pastures and take pictures with their cows- a nice luxury. If you aren't as lucky as us to have local farmers markets, don't fret- Whole Foods is very good about carrying or importing well treated "local" small farm meat at request. Online, many outlets like Slankers offer grass fed meat, though you have to pay steep shipping or buy in bulk.

For an insightful short video on the ugly political issues lurking behind our meat and produce supply, watch this:

The Problems with Farm Subsides for the Small Farmer, by Ron Paul

The whole issue of federal subsidization of American farms as a way of "making American farmers more competitive with worldwide markets" is the wrong approach. This is a classic case of "good intention, bad follow through" as my buddy Mike Keasler would say.

These federal subsides often do not help the real small farmers like all of our local lamb and beef farms out here in North Carolina. National Public Radio (NPR) just recently aired a special on this topic where an Iowa corn and soybean farmer emphasized his need for and dependency on federal money. I should point out that in the recent $286 Billion Dollar Farm Bill which just passed the Senate, federal money is taken from our taxes in order to subsidize crops (like corn) for ethanol, enlarge the food stamp program, and to encourage the further growth of (genetically engineered) wheat, peanuts, barely, oats, soy, and some fruit and other popular grains. Our taxpayer dollars are going to the growing and propagation of gluten and unhealthy soy! This is a bit ironic, being unable to consume any of what my tax money goes towards promoting.

See page 15 of the Farm Bill PDF for the summary of crops and prices with this new farm bill "safety net." I love the pro-environmental aspect of the bill which encourages alternative fuels through corn growth, however, this should be an action taken on by the industry at the people's demand for more eco-conscious energy resources. Our bloated, inefficient federal government has no place delegating tax money for this purpose. A simple economics lesson in supply and demand in the "free" market tells every ninth-grader that once the demand is present, the supply will react appropriately. These forces exist in a delicate balance. Federal subsidization disrupts this balance. The "demand" in the free market are the citizens exercising their purchasing power and demanding eco-friendly options. We all know the phrases "Put your money where you mouth is." So that's exactly what I'm doing... well, that and enjoying our grass fed local lamb :)

Farm Bill Headlines:
(MSNBC) Secretary Of Agriculture Says Farm Bill Flawed
(MSNBC) Senate rejects crop subsidy ban for fat cats