A person’s first taste of lamb can be one of those great palate-changers, a moment when you realize there is a lot more for dinner than the same old steak. Fresh lamb shank, leg or loin has an earthy richness and complexity that can make a lot of beef and pork seem ho-hum by comparison.
Some rookies are introduced to lamb in the form of a rack or chop at white tablecloth establishments. Others have devoured a gyro with Feta or a curry dish at an Indian eatery without ever noticing that the craveable meat is lamb.
The thing is, the vast majority of Americans have never actually tasted lamb. It wasn’t served as the Sunday roast so we don’t know how to cook lamb, much less how to “French” a rib. That unfamiliarity is a bit mystifying since lamb plays such a central role in Christian, Jewish and Islamic celebrations where spring lamb is a centerpiece symbolic dish.
Sheep arrived in the Americas in 1493 on Columbus’s second voyage and leg of lamb was served shortly thereafter. Thomas Jefferson kept a small herd at Monticello and it was on the menu at Mount Vernon where Martha Washington’s celebratory Grand Leg of Lamb was stuffed with a laundry list of ingredients including anchovies, lemon and capers. The mysterious bright green mint jelly came later.
Lamb’s climb to popularity has changed as well-traveled diners have tasted it overseas and Millennials have grown up eating food from across the globe and sometimes all at the same meal. Ground lamb is showing up on menus in meatloaf and meatballs, on flatbreads and in grilled, finger-thick merguez sausage. In other words, lamb deniers — even noted chefs — are being won over by the original red meat.
Chef Hosea Rosenberg never encountered or tasted lamb at all when he was growing up. “I finally tried it at a Moroccan restaurant I worked at in college, a lamb tagine, and I loved the flavor,” he says. Rosenberg won season five of Bravo’s “Top Chef” series and now operates Blackbelly, a hoof-to-plate Colorado eatery with a newly opened artisan butcher shop on the premises.
“Lamb had a reputation for being gamey tasting but what that says is that people haven’t had good lamb,” he says. Many in the World War II generation tended to reject lamb because they were served mutton — meat from older and larger animals.
Rosenberg is a diehard believer in the superiority of American lamb despite the fact Australian and New Zealand lamb is typically lower-priced at supermarkets. “The imported lamb just doesn’t taste as mild, he says.
Blackbelly’s menu includes lamb with braised fennel, wild mushrooms, spiced carrot puree and chickpeas, a family-style meal built around a roast leg and wood-grilled lamb steaks.
While there are different taste characteristics to various lamb breeds the meat is not typically sold by breed except when buying from a farmer or small butcher. There is no “Angus” or “Kobe” of lamb that are widely available. Ultimately age is the most important factor in how lamb tastes.
Matching the right cut with the best cooking technique is essential, as it is for pork and beef. “Think of it like this: If a muscle is used a lot like a leg, shank or shoulder, it needs to cook low and slow to soften all that connective tissue. Ribs and loins don’t get flexed and are tender. They cook very fast,” he says.
So treat a boneless lamb loin as you would a New York strip — it’s the same cut but smaller. For best results, simply season and sear the loin on both sides on top of the stove in a cast iron pan and then transfer the pan to the oven to finish. It should be served no more than medium rare otherwise the meat can get dry and tough.
In fairly recent cookbooks the directions for cooking lamb often tell cooks to trim off all visible fat. With fresh young lamb you should leave a little fat on for flavor as well as moistness.
Lamb chops need only about two to four minutes on a grill or in a pan. The thickness of the chops determines the cooking time. Salting lamb chops an hour before grilling helps to keep them moist. Cook those tender little “lollipop” chops carefully at the very last minute so they can be served hot straight to the plate from the pan.
Lamb shoulder and leg need to be prepared low and slow and must be set on a rack above the bottom of the pan so the meat cooks evenly and doesn’t sit in and reabsorb the fat. For a change of taste, shanks are an ideal candidate to be marinated, coated in spices and cooked slowly in a wood smoker.
Lamb adjusts to almost any seasoning scheme but the best flavors seem to come from the places where it has been served the longest, around the Mediterranean, in the Middle East and in India. In other words, lamb works well with olives, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, lemon and rosemary and the region’s cheeses from Pecorino Romano and Chevre to a dozen variations on a Feta theme.
It is that flavorful shoulder, shank and leg meat that pairs well with cheeses, especially in sandwiches and salads and with thick tangy yogurt sauces like Greek tzatziki and Indian raita. Lamb and dairy show up on bistro menus as lamb shank ragout with fresh Ricotta, lamb leg French dip sandwiches with Emmentaler, or grilled yogurt-marinated lamb loin chops. Upscale burger chains are popularizing lamb burgers, often seasoned like gyros and served with Feta or Chevre.
Lamb also has a natural compatibility with red wines, and is often paired with Pinot Noir. Tuscan wines and reds with some acidity, tannins and fruit to balance the rich earthy notes in roast leg or lamb sirloin steak with a highly hopped and aromatic India pale ale (IPA), are particularly good pairings.
The final step is to NOT mess with the perfection that is a well-cooked piece of mild lamb by serving it with that truly horrific fluorescent green mint jelly. Try a fresh pico de gallo with chilies, an herbaceous chimichurri sauce or a tart gremolata. Save the sweet sauces and chutneys for meats that have a natural affinity for sweetness: pork, goose and venison.
To get you started on the path to lamb, the American Lamb Board offers recipes for roasted leg of lamb and pulled lamb sandwiches with goat cheese, arugula and caramelized onions.
If you enjoy adding fromage to most savoury dishes, you’ll be glad to know that some cheeses go beautifully with lamb. Flavourful lamb shoulder, shank and leg are the best cuts to pair with cheeses such as ricotta and emmental, whilst feta and fragrant blue cheese stands up beautifully to lamb in sliders or kofte.
Some rookies are introduced to lamb in the form of a rack or chop at white tablecloth establishments. Others have devoured a gyro with Feta or a curry dish at an Indian eatery without ever noticing that the craveable meat is lamb.
The thing is, the vast majority of Americans have never actually tasted lamb. It wasn’t served as the Sunday roast so we don’t know how to cook lamb, much less how to “French” a rib. That unfamiliarity is a bit mystifying since lamb plays such a central role in Christian, Jewish and Islamic celebrations where spring lamb is a centerpiece symbolic dish.
Lamb chops need only about two to four minutes on a grill or in a pan. The thickness of the chops determines the cooking time. Salting lamb chops an hour before grilling helps to keep them moist. Cook those tender little “lollipop” chops carefully at the very last minute so they can be served hot straight to the plate from the pan.
In a kettle, combine lamb shanks with broth, chili powder and 1 onion, sliced. Cover; bring to a boil. Simmer 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Remove shanks from broth and when cool enough to handle, pull meat off bones into shredded pieces. Slice remaining onion; gently sauté in oil over medium heat until sweet and caramelized.
It is that flavorful shoulder, shank and leg meat that pairs well with cheeses, especially in sandwiches and salads and with thick tangy yogurt sauces like Greek tzatziki and Indian raita. Lamb and dairy show up on bistro menus as lamb shank ragout with fresh Ricotta, lamb leg French dip sandwiches with Emmentaler, or grilled yogurt-marinated lamb loin chops. Upscale burger chains are popularizing lamb burgers, often seasoned like gyros and served with Feta or Chevre.
The leanest of the cuts, leg of lamb can be served with or without the bone, though leaving the bone in boosts the flavor of the meat (and raises the level of your presentation). When preparing leg of lamb, Connor Pelcher, associate director of sales at Murray’s Cheese, suggests considering the “complex flavor of roast lamb: salty, earthy, gamy, and meaty,” to get the most out of the experience. To match these flavors, Pelcher recommends mizithra, a Greek cheese made from whey. To contrast, look to Hudson Flower, a soft-ripened sheep’s milk wheel with light, bright flavors and an herb-rubbed rind.
Outside of American cuisine, lamb is a celebrated dish. It’s a cornerstone of Greek and Middle Eastern cookery and is often prepared with a variety of warm spices and served with a cooling yogurt sauce. We believe all turophiles should try it—if the classic pairing of yogurt is any hint, this meat is meant to be matched with dairy.
While a popular menu item in many parts of the world, lamb is not a common order in the United States. In fact, the average American consumes less than a pound of the protein per year, compared to nearly 200 pounds of beef, pork, and chicken. Why? Some blame World War II, during which it is said that American soldiers ate a great deal of mutton. As a result, the men returned to the States with an aversion to the gamy meat, associated it with lamb, and passed the distaste on to their families.
Sohail Zandi, chef and co-owner of Brushland Eating House in Bovina, N.Y., suggests topping lamb meatballs—traditionally mixed with herbs and spices like coriander, oregano, and mint—with washed-rind Prufrock. “It’s a pungent square balanced by notes of ripe Mediterranean fruits, toasted nuts, and a lingering saltiness—the perfect complement to the gaminess of lamb,” he says. Can’t find Prufrock in your neck of the woods? French Pont l’Évêque, the cheese that inspired the Martha’s Vineyard stinker, will do just fine.
Chops can come from the rib, loin, sirloin, or shoulder of the lamb, and usually contain a rib bone. Whichever you pick, select a cut that features a good deal of marbling to ensure the most flavor. When it comes to cheese, Holly Kenna, general manager of New York’s Bedford Cheese Shop, recommends something mellow and bright as a contrast to the gamy meat, like a super creamy blue. Or, crumble ricotta salata atop your chops to amplify the dish’s savory notes.
What Side Dishes Go With Leg of Lamb? : Delicious Recipes
FAQ
What cheese pairs best with lamb?