Cooking Lamb

“Marinated it with Guinness, garlic and fresh mint for 24 hours.  Cooked it with Guinness, garlic, fresh mint, rosemary, thyme, and shallots.  Served it with a mint sauce -- not a scrap left on the platter.”  

Like lots of foodies, I have lately become even more concerned with the ethical and environmental tolls that factory farming has taken on all parties involved (except for big business). The literature that is out now talks about how many animals are humanely raised but then sent to large scale slaughterhouses where horrific abuse often occurs. I spoke to your rep today at the Greenmarket who was well aware of how your animals are raised but really was only able to tell me that "They get sent off somewhere for slaughter." Have you been happy with the level of care demonstrated by the facility in the slaughtering process?

As bluesman Albert King sings on a CD of mine, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." Most people don't want to know about the last moments of a lamb's life, including my reps at market; so I go lightly there.
 
I use a small slaughterhouse that is owned by a 76 year old man. Howard Darling has an employee, Willy, who remembers when they started killing in La Plume in 1946. They are as humane as killers of animals can be; they care for the lamb before and they care for the lamb after. Death is small & personal in La Plume, not large & anonymous as agribusiness death is.
 
I wonder where I will take my sheep when Howard & Willy die.
 
I hope the lamb leg steak pleases you; I'm collecting lamb recipes and cooking anecdotes to post on the website; please tell me how you cooked it and give me permission to reprint your letter there too, as death is an important aspect of eating lamb raised on a small farm. And it is a subject that is best brought up by a patron of small farm food from a farmers' market.

Sorry it's taken a while for me to get back to you. I actually ended up freezing the lamb leg steak and making it tonight. First of all: Wow. I haven't had had lamb of this quality in a long time. It is deliciously rich and I will absolutely recommend you to my fellow friends/cooks. Here is the recipe I made up for tonight. Please feel free to post either the recipe or my original letter. I'll speak to you soon.

Dice a red onion and toss with a small piece of feta cheese and whatever fresh herbs you have around and maybe some lemon juice
To plate, spoon roasted potatoes in center of plate. Place lamb (whole or sliced) on top and then top with feta/onion salad

Enjoy. This is really, really good.  : )

Serve with a light bodied red wine (Rioja from Spain or Pinot Noir from France or Oregon)

Thanks again Eugene.

“Braising is a moist heat cooking method where lamb cuts are browned and cooked in a small amount of liquid. The liquid produces steam which helps tenderize the meat. Thus, this method of cooking is perfect for both small and large less tender cuts of lamb such as neck slices, shoulder cuts, riblets, breasts and shanks. A wide variety of lamb dishes may be braised.
 
To braise, heat a small amount of oil, fat or butter in a heavy frying pan and brown lamb on all sides. (The lamb may be first dusted with seasoned flour.) Pour off drippings and season as desired. Add a small amount of liquid such as water, vegetable juice or soup and vegetables. Cover pan tightly and cook at low temperature until tender. A sauce or gravy can be made from the cooking liquid.”

Timetable for Braising Lamb

Courtesy of the American Lamb Board

Searching for "Braised Lamb Shoulder" will lead you to some interesting and surprisingly simple recipes.

*The shoulder can be roasted, but it should be marinated first and basted to help tenderize it