LAMB BELLY WITH PEAS, FAVA BEANS AND CASHEW-DATE ROMESCO

Steps:

• Special equipment: a grill, kitchen twine and 8 long skewers.
• Split the lamb belly into two pieces, crosswise. Season both sides well with salt and let sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• For the cashew date romesco:.
• Add the olive oil, garlic and shallot to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Slowly toast the garlic and shallot, being careful not to burn, until the garlic is a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and shallot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the tomatoes and dates and gently heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Strain the oil and reserve.
• Combine the garlic, shallot, tomatoes, dates, cashews, vinegar and 1/4 cup of water in a blender and puree. Slowly stream 1/2 cup of the reserved oil into the blender to emulsify the ingredients. Add up to 1 /2 cup more of the oil, if needed, in order to reach a smooth puree the consistency of room temperature peanut butter. As an alternative, set aside some of the ingredients before blending, then hand-chop and fold them into the romesco to create a chunky texture.
• Adjust the seasoning with more salt and sherry vinegar if needed.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat, maintaining a temperature of 200 to 225 degrees F.
• Brush one piece of lamb with 1/2 cup of the cashew-date romesco, roll it up as tightly as possible and secure with kitchen twine. Repeat with the second piece of lamb.
• Place the lamb on the grill and frill uncovered until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool to 110 degrees F. Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap to compress it and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.
• For the pea and fava bean salad:.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the English peas and fava beans separately in the boiling water until they are tender and bright green, about 30 seconds for the peas and 1 minute for the favas. Shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
• Combine the English peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, dates, lemon juice, olive oil, pickled onions, yogurt and some salt in a medium bowl. Toss well to coat evenly.
• To serve:.
• Increase the grill to high heat. Cut each roll of lamb into 6 to 8 slices, about 1 1/2-inches thick. Thread 2 slices on each skewer so that the skewer is holding the pinwheel together. Brush with some of the cashew-date romesco. Grill the lamb over high, indirect heat until the outside of the lamb is charred and some of the fat is rendered.
• Brush each plate with some of the remaining cashew-date romesco; top with some pea and fava bean salad and 2 slices of lamb. Squeeze the lemon over the lamb and garnish with the mint. Reserve the remaining lamb for another use.