Seared Lamb Steaks with Red-Wine Pan Sauce
Lamb steaks are the essence of spring when paired with minty pasta and seasonal vegetables. If you can’t find lamb steaks (cut from the leg), substitute blade chops.

2 bone-in lamb steaks, about 3/4 inch thick (1 1/2 pounds total)
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup red wine*

1. Heat a heavy non-reactive (i.e., not cast iron) skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lightly season the lamb steaks with salt and pepper and sear them on both sides until nicely browned but still pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Cook longer for more well-done lamb, but remember that it will keep cooking once removed from the pan!)

2. Remove the steaks to a plate. Reduce the heat under the pan to low. When the pan has cooled a bit, add the butter and wine. Pour in any juices from the plate and simmer, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Adjust seasoning to taste and pour over the steaks.

*Make your pan sauce with the same wine that you are drinking with your meal. A great match with lamb is a medium-bodied, full-flavored Côtes du Rhône. Try the delicious Delas Côtes du Ventoux 2003, which has enough heft to stand up to the steaks without overpowering the spring vegetables—and costs less than $10 a bottle.

Gourmand and hostess Califia Suntree has worked in restaurants, catered, edited cookbooks, and snacked her way across the country. Her foodie blog can be found at http://www.spooningmag.com/blog.