I was on Round 3 of lamb. Why Round 3? Because the charming butcher at the Lebanese market agreed with me that leg of lamb is the right cut for kabobs. And then convinced me to buy the whole thing. He skillfully boned it out (saving and sawing the bones!), leaving me with one huge pile of beautiful boneless lamb. Huge = almost 7 pounds worth! So it was lamb stew on Friday night, lamb stock bubbling away all day on Sunday, and then lamb kabobs on Sunday night. I’ve thrown two “roasts” in the freezer for Rounds 4 and 5.

Quick word about the kabobs. I’ve come to know Amy Riolo through a local blogging group. She’s an accomplished chef, cookbook author, and lecturer (Amy’s also just really really NICE). So I turned to her cookbook Nile Style for some inspiration on the kabobs. Her simple and straightforward recipe for chicken and beef kabob calls for oil, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, and something unexpected — a pinch of saffron — followed by a sprinkle of cumin just before it hits the fire. This less-is-more approach to seasoning truly highlights the charcoal-grilled lamb.

Back to the cocktail. This isn’t the first time I’ve made a sangria to accompany some lamb. To my palate, a strong or gamey meat like lamb or duck pairs well with a lightly sweetened and fortified wine. Because the lamb’s seasoning was relatively restrained, I chose a white rather than a red as the base. And slicing the grapes in half is key to their absorbing all that brandy-pom goodness.

Achin’ Fer Spring Sangria
Serves 4

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 cup grape halves
1/2 cup applejack or brandy
2 tablespoons PAMA Pomegranate liqueur
1 cup cranberry-pomegranate juice, chilled
1 bottle dry white wine, chilled

Prepare your spiced syrup: Boil the water in a 2-cup pyrex cup in the microwave. Add the sugar carefully and stir to dissolve. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise; allow to cool to room temperature.

Put the apples and grapes in a large pitcher. Add the spiced syrup, applejack, and pomegranate liqueur, including the cinnamon stick and star anise. Let the fruit marinate for an hour or two. If your kitchen is cool — the countertop should be fine. If you have started wearing shorts, you should probably refrigerate it.

Just before serving, add the chilled juice and chilled white wine. Stir gently and serve over ice.