The snowdrops and crocuses are out, which means spring is just around the corner. And, certainly in our industry, spring can only mean one thing: Lamb. Succulent, tender and full of flavour. Roast lamb is a real treat and a perfect roast dinner centrepiece.
In this final edition of our popular Roast Club blog series, we'll be focussing on roast lamb. We talk you through the different lamb roasting joints, some top tips for cooking, and delicious ideas to use up any leftovers you may have.
For a special occasion such as Easter, we'd recommend you buy the best high welfare, grass fed lamb you can afford. If you pay that bit extra for high quality meat, we guarantee you'll notice the difference in flavour and texture. Plus grass fed meat contains more omega 3s so it's better for you!
Also, we recommend you buy as local as you can. There's a lot of noise about New Zealand lamb, but it seems crazy to buy meat from the other side of the world when we have an abundance of high quality lamb meat in this country.
All our grass fed lamb is sourced from an excellent family farm an hour from Guildford in West Sussex, where the sheep and lambs are free to roam on the South Downs. You can hardly get more local! We also visit the farm regularly so we know it adheres to the highest animal welfare standards.
The different lamb roasting joints
For a small animal, there's quite a few different roasting joints to choose from. We've listed these in bestselling order.
Leg of Lamb - This is a real centrepiece for a special occasion meal. It's a tender cut and the bone in adds extra flavour plus there's generally a thin layer of fat on top to keep it moist whilst cooking.
Lamb Shank - Similar to leg but this is portion just above the knee. It's generally a bit tougher than leg so it's better suited to slow cooking and braising.
Shoulder of Lamb - An impressive cut to feed a crowd. It's got a high fat content, which makes it melt in the mouth and it's also nigh on impossible to overcook.
Rack of Lamb - This stunning cut consists of a rack of tender lamb cutlets with french trimmed bones to look neat. Put two racks together to create a "guard of honour" to feed a crowd. It's very quick to cook so a good one if time is of the essence.
Lamb Rump - A perfect little roasting joint for two people. It's a lean cut and tends to be fairly economical, which is great for those on a budget.
Breast of Lamb - Not many people have tried this cut. Breast of lamb is the same cut as pork belly and has many of the same qualities. It's high in fat and generally needs slow cooking to get the best out of the cut.
Cannon of Lamb - This is the tender loin fillet and is very lean. Be careful when cooking this cut as it's easy to dry out. But when cooked properly, it's melt in the mouth perfection.
Top tips for cooking lamb
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Take the lamb out of the fridge 30 mins to an hour before you cook it to let it come to room temperature.
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Don't be tempted to trim the fat - it's what gives the flavour and will baste your meat whilst it cooks.
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For real flavour, we advise to go for a roasting joint with the bone in as the bone conducts heat and adds flavour. However it can make it tricky to carve, so just go with whatever suits you best.
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Season the roasting joint generously just before you put it into the hot oven.
- To keep the lamb moist, baste it in its own juices every 20-30 minutes.
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Loosely covering the roast with foil might help to achieve a juicy end result without overcooking it.
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Always leave the meat to rest before carving - anything from 15 minutes up to an hour is fine.
The touch test
It's hard to give some hard, fast rules for cooking time when it comes to roast lamb because a lot of it will come down to whether you have bone in or boneless joint, the type of joint you have and what end result you're going for...
But did you know you can use the touch test to know how well done the meat is, without a meat thermometer? It's a foolproof method a lot of chefs and home cooks use.
Touch the cut of meat with your finger and then feel the fleshy part of your hand underneath your thumb. The meat is raw if it feels like the fleshy part.
Now hold your thumb and index finger together: The meat is rare if it feels like that.
Now touch your thumb to your middle finger: The meat is medium rare if it feels like that.
Next, connect your ring finger and your thumb: If the meat feels like the fleshy part of your palm now, it's medium.
Finally, join your pinky and thumb: The meat is well done if it feels like that.
Ideas for leftover roast lamb
As lamb is more pricey than other roasting joints, we don't recommend going XL to purposely accommodate leftovers. However if you do find yourself with some leftover lamb, here's some ways to make the most.
Lamb has a strong flavour which stands up well to spice. If you've ever had a Lamb Rogan Josh, you'll know how well lamb works in Indian cooking, but those Greek and Middle Eastern flavours really sing with lamb too.
Leftover cooked lamb will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Photo credit: jamieoliver.com
Not a fan of spice? Give these classics a go instead...
How to freeze leftover roast lamb:
Slice it up or shred it with two forks, depending on your preference. Wrap it in freezer paper or a good quality freezer bag and don’t forget to label it!
You can leave it frozen for three to six months. When you want to use it, defrost the beef in the fridge for 24 hours. And once defrosted, don't refreeze it.