Serving up a lamb dish is a little different than more typical proteins like beef and chicken.
You might not opt for lamb as often, and that leads to inevitable mistakes when cooking
it.
But mistakes don't have to happen: get in the know and cook your lamb right.
For starters, your lamb might not turn out as you expected if you don't know the difference
between the cuts.
Each cut cooks differently because some muscles are worked more than others, so it's really
important to choose the appropriate cut of lamb before you hit the grill, skillet, or
oven.
Some cuts have a stronger presence of lamb's characteristic "gamey" taste.
For example, lamb shanks and cuts from the shoulder have a more gamey flavor than cuts
with less fat, like rib chops, loin chops, and rack of lamb.
It all comes down to the cut's concentration of branched-chain fatty acids or BCFAs.
That's a compound found in lamb fat that's responsible for its grassy flavor and aroma.
By choosing less fatty cuts, you can reduce the amount of gaminess in the lamb.
Looking at where the lamb was raised can help, too.
BCFAs are more concentrated in lamb that graze on grass.
Since New Zealand and Australian lamb are grass-fed their entire lives, they contain
more of these compounds.
American lamb, on the other hand, is finished on grain, reducing the BCFAs in their fat
and giving them a sweeter flavor.
If you're avoiding lamb altogether because of that gamey flavor, you might be able to
fix that by trimming your cuts.
The compounds that cause that flavor are mainly found in lamb fat, so by trimming the fat,
you may be able to remove most of the gaminess of intense cuts like lamb shoulder or leg
of lamb.
If you're not comfortable trimming fat at home, you may be able to ask your local butcher
for help.
If you have the choice between a bone-in or a boneless leg of lamb, we urge you to choose
the bone-in meat.
Many people opt for the boneless roasts because they seem easier to work with.
It's definitely true that a boneless leg of lamb is more effortless to slice after it
cooks.
That said, you'll miss out on a world of flavor by skipping the bone.
The bone adds extra flavor to the meat, similar to how they can create a massive amount of
flavor when simmered in water to create broth or stock.
As a bonus, bone-in roasts are also more impressive in their presentation, especially if you decide
to carve the leg tableside.
Bone-in roasts aren't actually that hard to slice, once you know the right technique.
The best way to carve a bone-in leg of lamb is to start with the bone facing towards you.
Cut a few slices from the outside edge to give you a flat surface to rest the leg.
Turn the lamb so the bone is perpendicular to your knife and start making slices, cutting
all the way down to the bone.
Most of the slices will stay attached to the bone, but that's okay.
When you reach the end, turn your knife and make a long slice along the top of the bone
to release the slices.
Then, just turn the leg over and repeat the process.
It's never a good idea to cook any meat straight out of the fridge.
Removing your protein from the refrigerator and tempering it to take the chill off even
briefly will create more evenly cooked, juicier results.
The idea is that a chilled piece of meat takes longer to reach the proper internal temperatures.
By the time the center reaches the ideal temps, the areas closer to the surface will be overcooked.
Instead, if you let the meat come up a few degrees before hitting the grill or placing
it in the oven, the center will come up to temperature more quickly.
That goes for lamb, too, which should be allowed to rest on the counter for an hour or two,
depending on the size of the cut.
Larger cuts like leg of lamb will take longer to come up to temperature as compared to cuts
like loin chops.
If you forget to remove the lamb in advance, don't worry; even 10 minutes will help take
off the chill.
Just don't keep it out of the fridge for more than two hours before cooking it that's the
United States Department of Agriculture's maximum recommended time for food safety.
Marinating lamb is a great way to infuse extra flavor into the meat, but there is such a
thing as marinating for too long.
Marinades work by coating the surface of the meat with a flavorful solution of oil, salt,
aromatic ingredients, fresh herbs and spices, and acidic ingredients like citrus juice or
vinegar.
Over short periods of time, these marinades won't break down the proteins in the meat
because they can't penetrate the surface.
But over time, the acidic ingredients will make the meat's surface mealy and mushy.
Those aren't exactly the words we'd like to use to describe an expensive piece of lamb!
If you're using acidic ingredients, keep the marinade time to well under 24 hours.
Even 15 to 20 minutes might be enough, especially for thinner cuts like lamb chops.
You may even want to skip the marinade altogether.
Lamb is already a tender cut, so there's no need to treat it with acidic ingredients.
Instead, you can spice it up with fresh herbs, spices, and garlic.
A good spice rub will accomplish the same thing as the marinade: seasoning the lamb
and adding flavor, all without the risk of over marinating.
Lamb has a strong flavor and aroma that's often described as "gamey."
It can be overwhelming for taste buds that are more accustomed to mild-flavored chicken
and pork, and it's even intense compared to other red meats like beef.
That means you just might want to amp-up your seasoning game.
When correctly seasoned, bold spices can counterbalance lamb's gamey flavors.
You don't need to follow a recipe, either.
Most herbs and spices work well with lamb, so have some fun and play around with mixing
together your own flavorful blend.
You can't go wrong with traditional Mediterranean flavors like garlic, sage, rosemary, or oregano.
These spices add pungent notes that brighten up lamb's intensity.
When it comes to grilled lamb, look to cumin and paprika.
These ground spices have a slightly bitter, smokey flavor that pairs really well with
the charred flavor of the grill.
Finally, curry powder is a good all-purpose spice for taming lamb in stews and braised
dishes, and it gives the dish an Eastern flair.
You wouldn't cook a brisket the same way you'd cook a steak, so it's a mistake to assume
you can cook every cut of lamb the same way.
Some cuts of lamb are good for quick-cooking on the grill, but others do much better with
a low-and-slow braise or roast.
It all comes down to where the cut comes from.
Some muscles in the lamb are naturally tender, while others are tougher and need more attention.
In general, the cuts that come from the lower part of the lamb the shank, leg, and rump
and the front shoulder are full of muscle fibers.
These muscles are worked hard during the animal's lifetime.
They do better when they're cooked at lower temperatures for long periods of time.
Using the slow cooker, the oven, or braising these cuts will ensure they turn out tender.
They're also the most flavorful cuts of lamb, so it's worth the wait!
The center cuts loin, ribs, and breast are naturally tender, so they do better with quick-cooking
methods.
These cuts are perfect for the grill or a hot cast-iron skillet.
These tender cuts are also naturally less flavorful, so it's best to spice them with
a marinade or serve a bold sauce on the side.
Here's the thing with cooking meat: The more you cook it, the more it dries out.
Scientifically speaking, meat fibers contain water and connective tissue that turns into
gelatin as the meat cooks.
When the temperatures reach a certain point, that water starts to boil and eventually evaporates.
The gelatin can keep the meat juicy and moist until a certain degree, but eventually it
will burst and leave your meat without any protection.
The result: dry, chewy lamb.
The best way to ensure your lamb stays juicy and moist is to keep it from reaching those
well-done temperatures.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the official safe cooking
temperature for lamb steaks is the medium temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Like beef steak, most people prefer lamb at more medium-rare temperatures 130 to 135 degrees.
But, if pink meat isn't your style, you can continue to cook it to a medium temperature.
Experts don't recommend going much past that because overcooking lamb doesn't capture the
best flavor and texture of this expensive meat.
Keep in mind that this doesn't apply to ground lamb.
Like other ground meats, a well-done temperature of 160 to 165 degrees is the safest way to
go.
Even if you're a professional chef or a backyard grill master, it's really hard to know when
meat is finished cooking.
You can set a timer and rely on a recipe for help, but each cut of lamb is unique.
The lamb chops you got may be thinner or thicker than the one from the recipe, and it's even
harder with larger roasts like leg of lamb.
Instead of using time as a guideline for when lamb is finished cooking, try using a sure-thing:
a meat thermometer.
When you think the meat is finished cooking, insert the probe into the thickest part of
the meat.
If it reaches the desired temperature, you're done!
For large roasts, look to a digital probe thermometer.
They can tell you the temperature of the meat while it's still in the oven, so you don't
have to open the door and release all the heat inside.
If you only take one piece of advice from us, let it be this one.
Whether you're grilling a burger, roasting a chicken, or cooking lamb, it's absolutely
crucial to let meat rest after cooking.
When meat cooks, the proteins and fibers inside the meat seize up, release moisture, and become
firm.
During the resting time, those fibers can relax, reabsorbing the moisture they expelled
during the cooking process.
If you cut into your lamb straight away, those juices would spill out onto the cutting board
instead.
After removing the lamb from the grill or oven, set it on a cutting board for 10 to
15 minutes.
Don't worry about it getting cold, because there's something called carryover cooking
that happens during this rest period.
The lamb will continue to increase in temperature as much as five degrees.
If you're worried about it, you can tent a piece of aluminum foil over the steak or roast
as it rests.
"Reynolds Wrap… the best way to keep the radio signals out of your skull, and all of
the juicy flavor in."
You're almost there, but you have one more important thing to consider: How to slice
lamb.
If you cut it incorrectly, you'll end up with tough, chewy meat even if you cooked it perfectly.
It's all about something called the grain.
All meat contains muscle fibers that run parallel to each other.
This is the "grain."
If you cut with the grain, you'll end up with long strands of fiber in each bite, and the
meat will be chewy.
Instead, if you position your knife in a "T" to the grain and make perpendicular slices,
you'll shorten each muscle fiber to the length of the slice.
Those shorter fibers are easier to chew, making the meat more tender.
Since lamb has a stronger flavor than chicken or beef, you might consider serving it with
a sauce.
This is especially important if you chose a gamey cut of lamb like shoulder chops or
leg of lamb.
A sauce can provide complementary flavors that make lamb's pastoral flavor more palatable,
and it's also a good way to cover up accidentally overcooked meat.
If you're not sure where to start, you can look to the five mother sauces of classic
French cuisine, which have many variations that might be a good fit for your lamb.
You can also get inspired by global cuisine when making a sauce for lamb.
Look at chimichurri from Argentina, Mediterranean mint sauce, curry sauce from India, Middle
Eastern yogurt-based tzatziki, or a fiery harissa based sauce from Africa.
No matter what you choose, just make sure it matches the flavor profile of the spices
you used during the marinade process, and you'll end up with a delicious lamb dish that
everyone is sure to love.
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