Can you eat lamb rare? You certainly can and in fact, most lamb cuts are best served either rare or medium rare at most. The key is knowing which cuts of lamb to eat rare and which to avoid, along with proper preparation, food safety, and cooking to ensure your lamb is both tasty and safe. Todays comprehensive article covers the following key areas and will answer all your questions about can you eat lamb rare:
A rare, or pink, lamb chop that has been seared well on the outside should be fine because any bacteria on the outer surface will have been killed by the heat. But minced or diced lamb or mutton should never be served pink. It needs to be thoroughly cooked and browned. The same goes for burgers.
Can You Eat Lamb Rare? Lamb Cuts To Avoid Eating Rare
Now that you know which lamb cuts you can eat rare, let’s review which lamb cuts you should avoid eating rare. This list is A LOT longer since most cuts of lamb should not be consumed undercooked. For starters, it is preferred to avoid large, bone-in lamb cuts like a leg of lamb, lamb spare ribs, or lamb shoulder. These cuts are simply too big to judge whether or not the internal temperature is precise. Thus, it is recommended to eat such lamb cuts at medium doneness. If you do want to eat these lamb cuts rare, you should slice them into lamb leg steaks or shoulder steaks. Then, pan-fry or grill until they reach the optimal internal temperature (120 degrees Fahrenheit / 50 degrees Celsius). As we mentioned earlier, ground lamb or lamb burgers should never be cooked rare. The large surface area on ground lamb causes it to be too dangerous to eat. This same rule applies to lamb sausage, lamb kebabs, and lamb stuffing (usually ground lamb and vegetables used to stuff a leg of lamb). Lamb offals, and organ meats in general, are also not to be consumed rare.
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How to Safely Prepare and Cook Lamb Rare
- If frozen, defrost the meat safely in the refrigerator overnight in its original packaging.
- Take the lamb out of refrigerator for 1 hour before cooking, keeping covered the meat covered at all times.
- Always wash and clean your hands before prep. Use a clean chopping board and knife during prep.
- Preheat pan or grill on medium-high heat.
- Ensure you get a thorough sear on all sides of the lamb to ensure the exterior is completely cooked and the surface bacteria is killed off.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness and receive an exact internal temperature reading.
- Take off the grill or pan once the temperature reaches 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). Let it rest for five minutes, which should reveal a final internal temperature reading of 128 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, a nice medium rare doneness. Now you are all set to safely eat lamb rare!
The handiness and accuracy of a modern digital meat thermometer cannot be overstated when it comes to getting a safe and consistent temperature to eat lamb rare every time.
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FAQ
Is it OK to eat lamb rare?
Can you eat a leg of lamb pink?
Is lamb safe at 130 degrees?
Which meat is safe to eat when pink?
Can you eat Pink Lamb?
You can eat pink lamb. Whilst it is true that meat requires cooking to kill harmful bacteria, the majority of this bacteria is on the outside of the meat. So, as long as the outside of the meat is cooked this bacteria should be destroyed. What Does Pink Lamb Taste Like?
Can lamb be cooked if it is still pink in the centre?
So can Lamb be cooked so that it is rare or still pink in the centre? Yes, lamb chops, steaks, and roasts can be cooked and served rare, or medium rare, providing it has reached an internal temperature of at least 145oF.
Can you eat Pink lamb chops?
A rare, or pink, lamb chop that has been seared well on the outside should be fine because any bacteria on the outer surface will have been killed by the heat. But minced or diced lamb or mutton should never be served pink. It needs to be thoroughly cooked and browned. The same goes for burgers.
Is pink Lamb undercooked?
Pink lamb can be undercooked, but the color really isn’t the determining factor. Heat is. This is because it’s heat that kills the bacteria on the outside and the parasites on the inside of the meat. As long as the internal temperature at the thickest part of your lamb is at least 145°F (63°C), the lamb is considered fully cooked, says the USDA.