Chef's Corner

Erin Yard

Erin began working in the restaurant business at a Yacht club in North Carolina while attending college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. After a year at the yacht club, he began a job as a cook at Caffe Phoenix in downtown Wilmington. Erin spent five years at Caffe Phoenix where he eventually became the sous chef.

With the experience garnered at the Caffe, he moved north to work at the established Chillingsworth Restaurant in Cape Cod as well as Lahiere's in Princeton, NJ.

Now fully realizing his passion for food he decided California was next in his culinary progression. Santa Cruz became home, as did Pearl Alley Bistro where he currently resides as Chef.

Chef Yard favors a Lamb Sirloin prepared with an Agro Dolce sauce, Italian for "bittersweet sauce"; a great favorite in Italy, and served with a multitude of roast and baked dishes. The lamb… "Aussie Brand", the cut…Lamb Top Sirloin that is fully denuded and ready to work the moment the package is open.

Commercial chefs can order Lamb Sirloins through their local foodservice distributors and consumers may purchase them from retailers found in our Store Locator at www.foodcomm.com.

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	Erin Yard
	Pearl Alley Bistro is located in Downtown Santa Cruz at 110 Pearl Alley (Between Lincoln and Walnut)
	Phone: 831-429-8070
	Lunch: Mon-Sat from 11:30-5:00
	Dinner: 5:00-11:00 (Friday and Saturday until 11:30)
	Sunday brunch: 0:30-3:00.

METHOD:
Use a large sauté pan to cook leeks and onions in the butter until golden. Add a dash of white pepper and salt. Then add raisins and currants, tossing until well coated with onion/leek mixture (one minute). Cover the mixture with the vinegar and simmer. When the vinegar is nearly reduced, add the pine nuts, cloves and nutmeg. Reduce all the liquid and pull off the flame. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 475º. Season the lamb sirloins with kosher salt and black pepper. Sear the lamb in a sauté pan and place in oven. After 5 minutes pull the lamb sirloins out and turn. In another 5 minutes check doneness. Pull out of pan and set aside to rest while doing the sauce. Using the still hot sauté pan, place ¾ cup of the raisin mixture in the pan with the beef stock. Reduce stock and finish with teaspoon of butter. Slice lamb thinly and fan out on a plate. Spoon the Agro Dolce sauce over the lamb. ENJOY!

NOTE: You will have an excess of the Agro Dolce mixture. When cooked, place in a container in the refrigerator. The mixture should last up to 2 weeks. Plenty of time to use it on another lamb dish.

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Chef's Corner

Erin Yard

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