FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 24, 2011
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Mutton But Love for the 3rd Annual Lamb Jam
Fans of Lamb Flock to the Charles Hotel to Baaask in Lamby Goodness
Cambridge, MA (February 23, 2011) For a third year running, BostonChefs.com and the American Lamb Board baaanded together to put on the Lamb Jam at the Charles Hotel this past Sunday, February 19th. This year's event proved to be the most successful yet with over 500 attendees who couldn't wait to sink their teeth into eighteen delicious dishes from this year's chefly participants.  | |
Brian Alberg and the winning crew at Red Lion Inn.
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In order to showcase all that lamb has to offer, chefs competed against one another in four cut categories - leg, loin, shoulder and shank - to see who would take the ultimate prize of best in show and carry on to compete in the Lamb Jam Masters competition in San Luis Obispo, California.
This year's top honors went to chef Brian Alberg of the Red Lion Inn for his Lamb Shoulder & Kale Meatballs with Farm Girl Farm Smoked Tomato Puree & Parmesan Crustade. "This is a great event and I'm honored to compete alongside such talented chefs," he noted. "The real pleasure, aside from winning Best in Show, comes from being able to produce a beautiful dish composed from the harvest of the Berkshire region long after the last tomato was picked in October!" The sense of camaraderie amongst chefs was palpable as well. Matt Jennings, chef and owner of Providence's Farmstead and winner of best in loin, enjoyed the bit of friendly competition: "It was an honor to compete against so many talented chefs and take home the trophy!" Not content to have the event be all about eating tasty lamb and drinking delicious brews (though the line of guests who queued up early to get into the Jam did seem pretty excited about that), this year's event also featured an educational component with two butchery demonstrations and two talks from those who know sheep best (that'd be the farmers). Chris Douglass and Nuno Alves of Tavolo managed to break down an entire lamb into its primal cuts within minutes before passing the cleaver to Josh Pert of The Meat House to finish the job. Fans of lamb were also treated to short talks from local Lamb lovers Lisa Webster of North Star Farms and Julie Olson of the Farm Institute.  | |
Team Tavolo wasn't sheepish about showing its love for lamb.
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Official Boston Lambassador and winner of Best in Shank Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern appreciated the opportunity to spread the gospel of local lamb as well: "It was great being a part of the Lamb Jam for the second year running. At Russell House Tavern, we're keen on using lamb from local shepherds because it fits in with our philosophy to always try to use the highest quality, sustainable products. The more people that experience the unrivaled flavor of local lamb through events like the Lamb Jam, the better." Cassie Piuma of Oleana, winner of the popular vote for a second year in a row, agrees. "We feel strongly about supporting local lamb farmers and a responsibility to educate customers on these practices, as well as new ways to prepare this versatile meat." This year all that lamb love was also put to philanthropic use, as the American Lamb Board partnered with Share our Strength, donating a portion of ticket proceeds to the worthy cause. "It is so great to be able to do what I love and have the proceeds benefit Share Our Strength to help make sure no kid goes hungry," Alberg added. "Winning Best in Show was the bonus!" Judging from the quality of lamb consumed and the many happy faces, seems as though we can all count ourselves as winners.
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For more information
Honor Lydon, Executive Editor
honor@bostonchefs.com
p: 617-441-8600
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