Lamb Takedown | Highline Ballroom

Nothing sheepish about this latest installment of the popular Takedown series

Matt Timms' cooking competitions have taken the country by storm: He's filled venues from Nashville to the Meatpacking District with his bacon, chili, curry, cookie, and even tofu, Takedowns. This past Sunday at the Highline Ballroom, 20 amateur chefs set their sights on the newest prized meat: lamb. The American Lamb Board sponsored the event, and author George Motz ("Hamburger America") was on hand as a judge, along with The Feedbag's Josh Ozersky and Grub Street's Daniel Maurer. Lamb may be the most gentle of meats, but competition was fierce: The judges' award went to Aaron Ginsberg for his barbacoa-style lamb tacos with a three-chile salsa, while Jeff and Diella Allen won the People's Choice Award with their Xi'an-style spicy red chile-cumin lamb with pickled jalapenos.