My brother-in-law loves lamb. And not just any lamb -- a very specific cumin-y grilled lamb he remembers from years ago in some small village in China. Ever since he told me this, I have tried making a version of this lamb for him, feeling sadly aware that I might never get it. This was not made easier by the fact that my sister hates lamb, thus slimming our chances for hunting it down. <br /> <br />But then last summer they were all coming for a visit and my sister asked me to make him some lamb as a surprise. I looked around again for regional Chinese recipes that might come close and settled on a combination of marinade and dry rub and held my breath. <br /> <br />"This is it,” he said. <br />“I like this lamb, Sam I am” said my sister (or some such Seussian saying) <br />The rest of us just chewed contentedly for a while. <br />My brother-in-law attempted to finish the entire platter, but just….couldn’t….squeeze….more….lamb…into…his….gut. <br /> <br />Ever since, this has been our go-to lamb. The marinade flavors the meat and the spice rub gets crispy with the floral peppercorns ever-so-slightly numbing your tongue and lips. It works equally well using a leg cut into strips, or, as I often prefer, these tiny chops you can eat with your hands. The dip is a great, vibrantly green complement (though they are also really good with a tamarind or apricot chutney; I often make both). The spice rub can also be sprinkled on a variety of meats for some great grilling.

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