San Francisco Bay Area chefs brought the heat to Spark Social SF on July 16 as they fired up American lamb BBQ-inspired dishes to a sold-out crowd at this year’s San Francisco Lamb Jam BBQ Bash. Chef Mark Stark of The Bird And The Bottle and Stark Reality Restaurants won both the People’s and Judge’s Choice Awards with his Shaved Pastrami Lamb on Everything Buns with Fennel-Apple Kimchee, Kimchee Mayo and Pickled Mustard Seeds.
“We enjoyed participating in San Francisco Lamb Jam and are proud to have won both event awards in such esteemed company,” says Mark Stark, executive chef of Stark Reality Restaurants and a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist. “We chose to make pastrami lamb because the method of brining and seasoning the lamb meat makes for an excellent flavor profile. We paired with kimchee fennel, kimchee mayo and pickled mustard seeds to add a Korean twist.”
Chef Mark Stark will take his winning dish to Nashville in September for the Music City Food + Wine Festival as he competes for the ultimate title of “Lamb Jam BBQ Master,” and the chance to win $1,000 towards the charity of his choice, alongside the winners of the Austin (March 5), Boston (April 30), Washington, D.C. (June 5) and Seattle (June 25) Lamb Jam BBQ Bashes.
Other participating chef’s included Chef Mark Dommen, One Market Restaurant & Back Porch BBQ, Chef David Lawrence, Black Bark BBQ, Chef Eric Nyeste, Smokestack-Magnolia Brewing and Pit Masters Richard and Pamela Schafer, CatHead’s BBQ. Local breweries like Triple Voodoo Brewery and Magnolia Brewing, winemakers like Skylark Wine, Miraflores Winery, Matchbook Wines and Silverado Vineyards, as well as purveyors like Mr. Espresso and Dough & Co all served up delicious food and beverage pairings.
“We’re very happy with the dishes at this year’s San Francisco Lamb Jam and are thrilled to benefit La Cocina with a portion of the event’s ticket sales,” says Megan Wortman, executive director of the American Lamb Board. “From coffee rubbed lamb shoulder tacos to spit roasted leg of lamb with ratatouille we were pleased with the originality and how well the dishes highlighted locally sourced American lamb.
