Lamb Cooking Tips
How
to Pan-Broil and Braise
• To pan-broil lamb in heavy skillet.
Do add fat or water and do not cover. Cook slowly and
turn lamb
occasionally, pouring off any drippings that accumulate.
Cook
until lamb is browned on both sides and to desired
doneness.
Season and serve.
• Braising is a moist heat method of cooking used for both small and
large
less-tender cuts of lamb. Heat is a small amount of fat in a heavy
frying pan
and brown lamb on all sides. Pour off drippings and season as desired.
Add a
small amount of liquid such as water, juice, broth or wine. Cover pan
tightly
and cook at a low temperature until tender.
How
to Pan-Fry
• This dry heat method of
cooking is used to cook small, tender cuts of
lamb such
as loin chops, rib chops, shoulder chops,
sirloin steaks,
center-cut
leg steaks and ground lamb patties. Use this method for thin cuts. Heat a
small
amount of oil in a heavy frying pan. If the pan smokes, the temperature
is too
high. Add lamb and brown slowly, turning occasionally.
How
to Broil and Grill
• Because of its natural
tenderness, lamb is ideal for outdoor grilling.
Boneless
rolled roasts should be as cylindrical as
possible. Steaks
and chops
should be at least 1 inch (2.54cm) thick.
• To broil, preheat oven. Place well-trimmed lamb on rack in broiling
pan.
Brown according to taste and turn halfway through cooking time, to an
internal
temperature of 145°F (63°C).
• Trim chops, steaks and roasts before cooking to prevent smoke and fire
flare-ups. Use tongs when turning to avoid loss of natural juices.
• Place chops, steaks, patties and kabobs on a rack 4 inches (10.16cm)
away from coals and cook to desired doneness.
• Chops, steaks and patties must be turned halfway through cooking. Turn
kabobs several times and butterflied legs every 10 minutes during
cooking.
• To roast, preheat oven and place lamb fat side up on a rack in open roasting pan Season as desired. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest muscle. Take care not to hit a bone or fat. Do not add water. Do not cover. Roast to desired degree of doneness.
• Allow to stand in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes after removal from the oven to make slicing easier. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. The roast continues to cook during rest and may gain a few degrees.
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