About lamb, for what it's worth....I never thought I liked it...but I keep hearing people rave about

M

marsha-tbay

Well-known member
it, so a few weeks ago I got some ground lamb and made some tzaziki sauce and thought that was the only way I could eat it and half way like it.

Well, a couple weeks ago I tried it again but marinated it in a lemon, olive oil, tarragon sauce and then grilled it on my grill pan; it was wonderful.

 
I had ground lamb, as I say, I just put it in a zip lock bag and poured the marinade in, about 2 hrs

then I just shaped them into burgers and grilled them on my cast iron grill pan. They sure were good and I'm glad I found out I can at least eat ground lamb more than 1 way.

 
Lamb is about the best meat there is......and then so is pork tenderloin good...lamb is....

so versatile with all the mid-eastern flavours. I am so pleased you liked it.
Do you BBQ?...try a butterflied leg on the fire with indirect heat, of course and use rosemary, lemon juice and garlic as the marinade and then serve it with cous cous salad. devine!

 
Lamb is not my friend

I have tried and tried. Bought the best looking lamb available, worked my best magic on it, everyone else raved and devoured it but I just can not get to like the flavour of it. I want to like it... just doesn't seem to work for me.

I do, however, LOVE goat.

 
Never tried goat. Lamb has a disticrive flavor that you could love or hate........

but some factors are freshness and youth. A lot of what gets sold as lamb in the US should rightfully be called "young-ish mutton." The flavor gets more pronounced as the animal ages.

Then again, lamb may be one of those flavors you were just not meant to like.

 
From what I understand, an additional factor is breed of sheep

On the old Gail's there was a woman named Clare/Kelsey I believe, who raised sheep and we were going to get together so that I could buy a fresh, young lamb from her and see if I liked that. I never got over to her place as she lives a couple of hours from me but I am always curious. I've considered buying a very young lamb, under 4 months old, when I see them in the paper then butchering it myself. I'm not sure that my desire to get a lamb that I like is worth that process to me lol.

Isn't the cutoff age for being labeled 'lamb' 18 months? I know that when I have butchered goat I make sure to do so prior to 4 months of age, preferably around 3 months. They get rather gamier after that, and I think a goat of 12 or 18 months would be pretty strong.

Do you have any good mexican restaurants nearby? If you can find a dish called Birria, it is delicious and a good way to try goat. That is, of course, if you have any desire to do so... lol not everyone's cup of tea to try out obscure-ish or odd meats. I'm pretty sure that I could not eat llama but I don't know why.

 
I read an article comparing New Zealand vs. USA lamb. I always thought the NZ meat was considered

"better", but the article mentioned that USA raised lamb was considered less strong tasting and more tender. The article also recommended, just like when buying beef, to buy the best grade... prime if it's available. We often eat lamb meat in curries and I have done a few roasts. I splurged for Easter and bought a USA leg from a local butcher, and it was Fantastic! The butcher butterflied it and I marinated it in herbs and garlic and we grilled it. I think it's the nicest thing I've prepared for dinner ALL year. I can't wait for the heat to slack off a little so I can give it another try. I also think not OVER cooking lamb keeps it from tasting so gamey.

 
Slaughtering your own lamb? Now that's what I call going the extra mile! There was a Mexican

restaurant in my neighborhood that served only goat, but I never got around to trying it and it has since closed. When a Mexican friend got married a few years back he promised my first taste of birria at the wedding. His aunt would be making it. The aunt ordered several goats but then changed her mind because she thought those available in California were too greasy. She switched to chicken birria which was wonderful. Someday I'm destined to taste birria with goat.

I know that in France the legs of lamb are half the size (and twice the price) of those in the US. They're very tender and mild tasting, but they do still taste like lamb.

 
Curried goat, well prepared, is a treat. A number of years ago, I decided to make some for a

Jamaican friend who was visiting for a weekend. The curry simmered away for about 5 hours. However, the goat I bought definitely came from an animal that had died from natural causes and the meat was very chewy. Another 5 hours of cooking in the microwave finally tenderized the meat.

Seriously though, goat is good.

And, roast leg of lamb is a treat in our family. Hmmmmmm, we wouldn't pass up rack of lamb or lamb chops either.

 
Rec: Repost of Julia Child's Roast Leg of Lamb

I had never made lamb until this past Easter. I always found it intimidating. Anyway, Sylvia and Joe pointed me to Julia Child's recipe -- which was easy and yummy! Here it is reposted:


Julia Child's Roast Leg of Lamb

Posted to Thread #1407 at 5:49 am on Apr 9, 2006

Leg of Lamb a la Julia Child

2 1/4 pound leg of lamb, butterflied or bone in

Marinade (from Julia Child, The Way to Cook):
2 large cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS dijon mustard
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp thyme *
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Puree garlic into a small bowl and mash to a paste with the salt. Whisk in the mustard, soy, herbs (one may also use rosemary or oregano, or a mixture of all three), lemon juice. Add the oil slowly, still whisking, to make a mayonnaise-like cream.

In a dish large enough to accomodate the leg of lamb, coat with the marinade. Let sit at least 8 hours, overnight if possible.

Preheat oven to 325. Roast lamb in a roasting pan until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (approximately 45 minutes -- as determined from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, it should be about 24 minutes per pound). Let rest under foil tent for 15-20 minutes and serve. Bone-in will take longer to cook. Lamb should be served medium rare.

* Sylvia's note: replace the 1 1/2 tsp of thyme with 3/4 tsp thyme and 3/4 tsp dried rosemary and add a 1 tsp of ginger.

Either combination of herbs and spices is good.

 
Rec: Repost of Parade Magazine's Butterflied Leg of Lamb

After Julia Child's recipe, we also made this one -- which was yummy in a different sort of way. If you can bear the heat coming off the grill, it's a yummy recipe.


Parade Magazine's Rec: Butterflied Leg of Lamb in wine and soy sauce

Posted to Thread #1467 at 8:04 pm on Apr 13, 2006




I'm on a lamb kick. We made this earlier in the week and it was easy and wonderful. My hubby took leftovers in for lunch. We used a 5 1/2 pound bone-in leg and marinated for 48 hours and cooked until medium. We just served the lamb with oven roasted potatoes and a salad.


BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB
Grilled lamb (how special!) is best when marinated overnight. For a less salty flavor, use light soy sauce.

3/4 cup each dry red wine and soy sauce
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
10 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 butterflied leg of lamb (about 4 to 5 pounds)

1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and 8 tablespoons parsley. Pour over lamb in a shallow dish. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours or overnight, turning the lamb frequently. Remove lamb; reserve marinade.
2. Grill lamb 4 inches above hot coals, about 20 minutes on each side, basting frequently. Check for doneness frequently after 30 minutes of grilling. Cut into thin slices on the diagonal, arrange on a platter and serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

Per serving: 301 calories, 1g carbohydrates, 43g protein, 12g fat, 134 mg cholesterol.
Nutritional Breakdown: New Wellness, Richmond, Va.
Makes 8 servings.
Simply Delicious® by Sheila Lukins
PARADE®
June 2000
PARADE® and Simply Delicious® are used by CondéNet Inc. under license.

 
Miain, thank you so much for thinking of me! These do sound good. Now for a 'stupid' ?

There's just 2 of us so I don't think I'd do a whole leg; besides that I'm not sure I've ever seen it in my groc....not that I've take notice....

could I use these same ideas for the leg with ground lamb for burgers?

 
Now for a "stupid" answer ... I am a lamb novice myself.

I have no idea. I think they would work with lamb chops --- I'm sure the flavor would be good with ground lamb, just different.

 
Marsha and Miain...another yummy way to do lamb....

Lamb chops are very expensive for all the bone and little meat but it is a most tasty little morsel....
Roast lamb leg or shoulder in the oven and serve with the traditional mint sauce, English style, Just the best...or...
Follow Julia's recipe but use diff. marinade...we love it on the grill (or in the oven) Greek style with cous cous and roasted veg...
After sticking it all over with rosemary twigs and then lots and lots of lemon juice (garlic some times...but I prefer roasting the garlic along with orange sweet potatoes which we then serve with a squeeze of lemon)Salt it half way through cooking
If the butterflied leg is too big cut it in half and freeze for later use....however left over cooked lamb, especially if not over cooked, can be minced for an excellent cottage/shepards pie ...or fill in phyllo pastry with spinach and feta and pine nuts...there are lots of recipes to use....
Also mince the raw lamb and go Indian with Koftas...meatballs cooked on skewers over the fire.
I haven't time to post recipes here now but if you want any tell me and I'll certainly post some later....We are big lamb eaters...had farms all round us in S.Africa...here we usually get NZ lamb, it is good but I've never had a bad US lamb yet....as long as it is prime grade.

 
Joanie, you make it sound so easy...anyway...yes, your ideas sound great! When you have time

I would appreciate any recipe ideas using lamb.
I was so pleased when I marinated the ground lamb in the lemon tarragon sauce, it was just so much better even than with the tzaziki sauce.
All these years everyone says mint, mint, mint with lamb and it was just a fluke I used the lemon...mmmmm

 
Yes, Joanie. Please post when you get a chance. Thank you!

I've only made two lamb recipes in my entire life and they are the two I have posted above! I have never cooked with ground lamb -- but would love to try!

 
Here's one that most lambophobes will try......

Grilled Thai Leg of Lamb

1 13 1/2 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
1/2 cup snipped fresh mint
1/2 cup sliced green onions
! Tabls. shredded lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tabls. fish sauce
1 Tabls. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. red curry paste
1 Tabls. grated fresh ginger
1 Tabls. minced garlic
2 tsp. coarse salt
1 3-3 1/2 lb. boneless leg of lamb rolled and tied.

For sauce:combine first nine ingredients with 1 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Set aside.
Rub: Combine garlic, ginger, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. ground black pepper.
Unroll lamb and pound to 1 1/2" to 2" thickness.
Rub ginger mixture over meat, plase in a resealable plastic bag and add 1/2 cup sauce. Place in dish and refrigerate 8 hours or so, turning and squishing (my word) occassionally.
Cover and refrigerate sauce.
Remove meat from marinade--the next step I haven't done---use long metal skewers inserted as a X to keep meat from curling.
Arrange coals over drip around and test for medium to low heat. Place meat on rack, cover and grill 50-60 minutes or until thermometer reads 135. Remove and let stand 15 minutes.
Let sauce stand and room temp for 30 minutes.
Slice and and ladle some sauce orver and serve rest on side.
I have adjusted amounts and used dried herbs with good results. People love the sauce, so when I make two legs, I make triple sauce.
Let me know if you find other uses for it, when I have had a tad left over, have served along side grilled fish


Another lamb thing, that I sort of invented when I just could not see the mix of mint jelly and
lamb, but like the mint notion.
I cover a couple of handfulls of dried spearmint with balsamic vinegar and simmer really low for about an hour, cook a bit of garlic in butter or olive oil till soft and add to mint mixture with brown sugar to taste. I do this early in the day and just push it to the back of cooktop till time to strain and serve

 
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