Lamb Recipes and Cuts From the Butcher
My last post was about the reasons for buying an animal share directly from a farmer. Well, that's great, but what if you're not experienced with cooking the various cuts that you receive from a whole animal? The last thing you want is for food - and your money - to go to waste because some cuts never make their way out of the freezer.When I say you, I mean... me. All of us. Before all this buying direct business, I had never cooked a lamb shoulder or ox tail or rendered lard, and maybe you've never prepared a rack of lamb or have any idea what to do with ground lamb. (Or maybe you're amazing at it, in which case, please comment and share!) Anyway, I've started collecting recipe ideas, specifically for lamb, on a Pinterest board:
These are just a few examples, and we'll be continually adding more to the board. You can follow us at Leaping Lamb Farm - Recipes for Lamb.That brings me to the next topic... the specific cuts of lamb you receive when you purchase a whole animal share. Our processor calls our customers to work out what they will receive. The American Lamb Board has a nice visual that breaks it down:
Some of these are specialty cuts. For example, to receive a crown, that takes the rack from the whole lamb. You wouldn't, then, receive a rib roast, or chops from the same lamb. The American Lamb Board is a good resource... they have a "Lamb 101" section with cooking times and temps, plus recipes and and a few other bits of info that an informed consumer may find interesting.
