subject: 5 Steps to a Great Tasting Lamb Recipe [print this page] 5 Steps to a Great Tasting Lamb Recipe 5 Steps to a Great Tasting Lamb Recipe
Here are five quick tips to help you make great lamb recipes:
Remove lamb's gaminess Gaminess is determined by the breed of the animal, the time of harvest (which effects hormone secretions) and the diet of the animal. In order to remove gaminess in any lamb recipe and do not have the option of changing where you buy your lamb from, you can often use lemon, garlic or even mint jelly or mint sauce to help mask the flavor. Of course, if the recipe that you are preparing uses strong spices, they may work just as well anyway.
Buy lamb from a butcher Butchers often have relationships with smaller, local farms that may be able to produce better quality, and potentially organic cuts of lamb. The lamb will often have undergone less stress in the preparing process and so should be even more tender. A butcher will often be able to also answer any questions you may have or specially prepare the lamb for you.
Do not overcook your lamb Overcooking lamb leads to a similar outcome that you could expect from overcooking other meat. It will be dry, much less tender, and will lose a lot of its delicious flavor. You can avoid this by making sure you cook it medium rare. You should also make sure to not let the lamb to continue cooking (by making sure to remove it from the stove & pan once you have decided to stop cooking it.
Make sure to let your lamb rest after cooking If you start to cut your lamb, or serve it up immediately after cooking, you will not have allowed the juices to re-distribute within the lamb. This will lead to a large loss of juice (commonly seen as a lot of red juice spilling out over the plate). This will lead to a loss of tenderness in the lamb, and a reduction in the overall quality.
Serve with the right sides Lamb goes really well with mint sauces and jellies. In addition, if looking to make a great dish, you should also think about adding a vegetable and a carbohydrate (e.g., steamed broccoli and mashed potato) to round out the overall plate and give your customers (or family) a well rounded, balanced meal.
If you follow these basic guidelines, you'll be sure to make a great lamb recipe.
