Originally posted by tim60 Tonight for dinner we had a lamb leg I roasted this afternoon. It was a New Zealand leg we bought in the Sainsburys post Easter sale, GBP8.99/kg (which for foreigners is a pretty good sale price here for lamb).
Nice
And yes, that's a good price for lamb. Not a cheap meat here in the UK.
It must be four years or more since I last had roast leg of lamb at home. I buy chops every few weeks or so, but if I'm buying a "joint" or "rolled joint" of meat, I normally get beef, pork or a ham. Or a nice whole free-range chicken.
Originally posted by tim60 The only sheep meat I know of which is consistently cheaper is the mutton at the halal butchers. Their current price, both at New Malden and at Headington is GBP7.99 for mutton shoulder (all the fore leg and the shoulder, including the whole scapula. Mutton is good for curry, cooked long and slow. Lamb is better for roast.
I
love mutton... in curries, as you say, but in any slow cooked dish... stews, casseroles, pie fillings etc. But I never see it for sale in either of my local butchers or in the supermarkets up here. I like goat meat for the same purposes, but again I never see it around here. The North East is far less varied and adventurous in its food offerings, even in this day and age, compared to the South East. Still mostly creatures of habit around these parts
Originally posted by tim60 I prefer the meat texture of New Zealand lamb, it is less likely to fragment but still cooks tender. Today's was 1.86kg cooked in pre-heated oven at 185C for two hours followed by about 30 minutes at 160C, then rested for quite a while. I deboned it, took out the femur, after buying, then froze. Today, just before cooking I tied it up, and even the cut portion held together nicely when carved. Guess the desirable properties of the meat are a result of New Zealand sheep walking about, and being smart enough to find their own food, not like the local ones that queue in the shed waiting for the farmer to feed them.
We bought our leg of lamb at the butcher's about a week ago (good butcher with reputable farm suppliers), and I wrapped it - still on the bone - and froze it straight away in the quick freeze compartment of my fridge / freezer. Today, we wrapped it in foil (still frozen) and cooked in the oven for three and a quarter hours at 180C on the fan, opened up the foil, drained the juices for the gravy, then gave it another forty minutes back in the oven. Took it out, and left it to stand for twenty minutes. It was perfect - for my Mum and Dad, at least, as they don't like their meat pink in the middle. I generally do, but I have to say, it was no worse for being done that little longer... Nicest tasting, most tender and juicy piece of meat I've had in a long while.
I think the remaining cold cuts would make
awesome sandwiches with a little mint sauce, but my Mum
hates cold lamb... so, I'll make something with the left-overs tomorrow. Based on today's lunch, I've no doubt it'll be tasty