#4 – GRILLED LAMB BELLY at AUGUST

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

Last year, Time Out’s list took me to The Vanderbilt, a gastropub in Propsect Heights, to try the golden pickled egg. But while dining there, we decided to try some of their other offerings, including the lamb ribs. I love lamb and I love ribs (pork), so it sounded like a match made in heaven. I was wrong. They were greasy, fatty, and lacked much meat.

After talking to a chef at my previous restaurant (I was a server – it wasn’t my restaurant) about the experience, he said you should never order lamb ribs. He said they are so fatty that they’re difficult to work with and you never get much meat out of the situation. I tend to concur. Who wants to eat all fat? Except Jack Sprat’s wife, of course. She only eats fat.

So I was a little concerned when I saw that the new TONY list featured another dish we’re used to seeing in pork form and here it was as lamb. The Grilled Lamb Belly from West Village neighborhood spot August.

I’ve been to August before for brunch many years ago and really enjoyed the service and the ambiance (there’s a cute back room that feels like an outside garden), although nothing seemed to stand-out foodwise. But I remember it was all good enough to be excited to return years later.

It was just the lamb belly that worried me. Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of pork belly. I appreciate it when it’s done well, but by definition, it’s going to have a layer of fat. The key is to get the top layer of fat so crispy that you forget about it and just enjoy the flavors. For instance, I love duck confit because it’s crispy and the texture feels like all meat. Forget the fact that the thing is literally cooked in fat!!!

The lamb belly was served in a cask-iron skillet with a bone protruding from the side and actually resembled a large rib. See, I tend not to think about the cuts of meat as being connected. It just doesn’t occur to me that the belly and the ribs were conjoined at one point. But of course, they are. I mean, put your hands on your belly and what do you feel?  A whole cage full of ribs right above it!  Hopefully not lamb ribs though.

The first few bites were rather uneventful. It had a deep gamey lamb flavor (duh!) but I felt like it was missing some brightness or acidity. After a few bites, my concerns were assuaged. This was quite delicious. It was covered in black sesame seeds which really helped bring out the crispy texture of the fat. And underneath the belly was a zingy tzatziki sauce that rooted the dish in Mediterranean cuisine. A sprig of dill (my favorite herb) garnished on top kept the dish from feeling too heavy.

This was a really well-prepared and focused dish. It was still a bit fatty, although I never found it greasy and accepted that this is the way lamb belly has to be. And I wouldn’t be surprised if lamb becomes the next pork. It has a deeper, gamier flavor and definitely something new for us fickle New Yorkers. Let’s just hope lamb feet doesn’t become the next pig trotter.

Would August’s Grilled Lamb Belly make my Top 100 of the year? I was pleased at how much I enjoyed the flavors and textures. It gets a 7 out of 10 for being a tasty appetizer and for showing me that lamb doesn’t have to be all about fat.