2-Day Scotch Broth with Madagascar Pink Rice

DAY ONE:

5# lamb-?-goat roast

~ all fat removed - but saved

1T adobo seasoning or

1T Rosemary Seasoning *

water

I recently went to a European Market in the Chicago area.  I was SO excited to get some smoked goat chops again, like I did 3 years ago at this market.

Well, the butcher gave me a gorgeous 5# roast, but when I got it back home in Minnesota, I realized it was labeled MUTTON - lamb, which I also love, but it's not goat!  If I'm remembering the scent of goat meat, this does seem more like lamb.  The butcher I spoke with a couple days later, to get more 'goat' cut and wrapped up what I'm sure IS goat, but this time the label read COW FEET!  He was a sweet man who spoke broken English, who reminded me of a Spanish Dustin Hoffman!  The goat chops were over $4 a pound, but this whole package cost me a little over $6, rather than the $13-$15 it should have been.  Hmmm, all kinda strange!  "Preferred-customer discount?"

Regardless, put the trimmed roast into an 6-8 quart pot, brown it in the butter.  When both sides are nicely brown and sizzled, remove from the heat a few minutes, then add water to almost cover the roast.   Add the thick outer fat - that you trimmed off - back to the pot.  (I know, counterintuitive, right?  I like doing it this way.  It'll make sense in a bit.)  Cover the pot and simmer 60-90 minutes, turning the meat over several times.  Take the roast out, put it on a dinner plate with raised edges, let cool then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Scoop out the big chunks of fat that didn't melt and thrown them away.  Put the fatty broth in the refrigerator until the fat solidifies.  Overnight is best.

DAY TWO:

12oz. meat cut in small cubes

2t Rosemary Seasoning

2T of the rendered fat

⅔c long cooking rice, barley or sorghum 

This is the fun part.  Somehow I deleted the photo of the fat covered broth when I took the pot out of the 'fridge.  It had a very hard ¼" of yellow-white fat that was easily and cleanly broken away from the broth beneath.  I heated the 5oz. of fat then strained it into the jar shown above at the right in the first little photo.  It solidified quickly.  I then added a little water to the unstrained broth, brought it to a simmer, then strained it.  In the end, I only used the jar on the right, since I have so much meat left, I wanted to keep at least a quart for future recipes.  Put this group of ingredients into the original pot after it's been cleaned.  Saute' and stir until a little  browning begins.  Add 4oz. water and repeat the browning process.  Do this a couple times.  To add a nice richness, use 4oz. of your favorite wine or beer the last time.

Add the vegetables, then pour about a quart of the meat broth you've made, over everything.  Simmer a half hour, covered.  Add any necessary seasonings, more adobo, Rosemary Seasoning, or a couple tablespoons of a good quality beef soup base.  Bring back to a simmer and serve.  This is wonderful soup, just as is, or you could served it with some crusty, buttered ciabatta bread.  Mmmm.  A big bowl of this will cure what ails you.  There have been times I was SO sick and had a bowl of this and I'm pretty sure it brought me back from death's door.

Ahhh. . .Soup. . .It'll heal you. . .heart, soul, mind and body. . .😋. . . Lin