LAMB TIPS cont.
Whichever cut, spice combination or level of doneness you desire, choosing lamb may help you spring into the season!
DONENESS : Lamb is traditionally cooked rare to medium rare. A good thermometer is your friend. According to Canada’s safe temperature cooking guide, cook ground lamb to 160 F. For other cuts, cook to 145 F for medium rare, 160 F for medium and 170 F for well done. As with all meat, some prefer their meat well done. To please a crowd, choosing the right cut may be a solution to this culinary conundrum. While a crown roast is designed to cook evenly, a shank’s uneven shape allows cooks to have medium rare to medium and well done, depending upon the size of the leg. The further up the leg, the more done the meat will be. Rolled roasts (those with stuffing in the middle) can offer a different option to the skilled home cook. Add more stuffing in the centre and less on the ends to allow for differing cooking rates — or leave LAMB TIPS
the ends without any stuffing. They will cook much faster. But it’s the simple chop that allows for more control when it comes to how
someone wants their meat cooked. Merely start chops first for those who prefer well done and add others to the pan or grill later. (Again, keep that thermometer handy and don’t forget carry-over cooking time — typically cook to 5 to 10 degrees less than desired temperature.) For those who fear well-done meat will not be tender, one tip our team uses is to add a pad of finishing butter once the meat is resting. To go the extra mile, add seasoned butter with mint, rosemary or your
favourite flavour blend.
FLAVOUR: For those who feel lamb has a gamey flavour, expert cooks explain this mainly comes from the fat (since fat is flavour). To lessen gaminess, one suggestion is to remove a lot of the fat and cook over a lower heat for longer on a rack over a pan to allow the roast’s dripping to land — in the pan and not end up on your plate.
It may come as no surprise that the Britons do lamb well. Celebrity chefs have a lot of advice on how to prepare, cook and serve lamb. CELEBRITY CHEF QUICK TIPS:
Jamie Oliver Oliver embraces cooking lamb three ways: pink (medium rare), medium and well done — seemingly sacrilegious to chefs who love all things pink. One method is to cross slice the fat on lamb shank and stud them with garlic and rosemary — and add “the controversial anchovy.” Another one of his theories is to match the length of cooking to the season. He loves pink for spring and medium rare to medium for winter months.
Lamb recipes from Easter Sunday Gordon Ramsay
If making a boneless lamb roast, tie the roast up with serving in mind (approximately one inch between each tie). This will allow the roast to look appealing and help guide you during slicing.
Celebrity Chef links: youtube.com/watch?v=VZR5I2_Gvg youtube.com/watch?v=Szv5Yx7xdyM
46 SAVOUR MANITOBA | SPRING/SUMMER 25
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