Quick and Cheap Gluten-free Meal: Lamb and Asparagus

Springtime is the season for Lamb.  It's tender and flavorful now, and because it's the right time of year you can sometimes find a bargain.  I got this lamb shoulder on sale for $4.49/lb at Whole Foods (it's usually at least $6.50).  I picked up the asparagus at the Portland Farmer's Market.  I wouldn't call it a bargain at $3/bunch, but there was plenty of asparagus in there and it was just how I like it: the stalks were thin and very fresh.  I only used about half the bunch for this dish.  The whole meal cost me about $4.

I cook some variation of this meat-and-vegetable meal on a regular basis.  It takes about 10 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you might consider taking the lamb out of the fridge ahead of time to bring it up to room temperature before cooking.   This makes it easier to cook it medium-rare without getting a rare-rare spot around the bone.
 
Ingredients:

Lamb shoulder steak
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Sage
Asparagus

Turn on your stove to medium-high under a large cast-iron skillet.  Sprinkle the lamb shoulder steak with salt, pepper, and sage to taste.  Rinse your asparagus and cut off about 1.5 inches off the base.

When your skillet begins to smoke slightly put about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and spread it around.  Place the lamb in the oil and let it sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Turn it over and do the same.  Turn down the heat to medium-low and turn the steak over again, placing it off to the side.  Put the asparagus in the pan and sprinkle with salt.  After about 2 minutes (less if the cut of meat is thinner than 3/4 inch, more if the cut is thicker) turn the meat over again and stir up the asparagus.  After about two minutes more your meat is about medium-rare.  Make sure the vegetables are done enough and if so remove everything to a plate.  Scrape up any browning from the pan and drizzle the resulting sauce over your lamb and vegetables.  Enjoy!
 Ingredients: