Ingredients

• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pound lamb loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 1/2 cups Rioja red wine
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon clover honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted almonds, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Special equipment: 6-inch skewers, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
2. For the skewered lamb: Combine the oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add the lamb, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the refrigeration time, the better.
3. For the spicy pomegranate-rioja red wine vinaigrette: Combine the pomegranate juice, wine, peppercorns, thyme and 1 tablespoon honey in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until the syrup is reduced to 1 cup. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool. Remove the thyme and peppercorns with a spoon.
4. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the red wine syrup. Cover and refrigerate the remaining syrup to keep up to 1 month. Yield: about 1 cup.
5. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
6. Preheat a charcoal grill for direct grilling. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Thread 2 or 3 pieces of the lamb onto each skewer, so the lamb lays flat. Grill the lamb until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a sheet pan. Drizzle the lamb with some Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette and let sit for 5 minutes.
7. For the mint-almond relish: Mix the almonds and mint and sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.
8. Drizzle the remaining Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette over the lamb and sprinkle with the mint-almond relish.