The aroma of a roasting leg of lamb, or lamb chops on the grill is pretty spectacular.
Whether it is a roasted leg of lamb, on the bone or off, or lamb chops or ‘lollipops’ there is something quite appealing about lamb.
But some people do find the flavour rather polarizing. Did you know that you can prep your lamb to reduce the gamey flavour that can be present with some cuts?
Lamb is a good source of zinc, iron, potassium and vitamin B12, according to the USDA. It is also leaner than red meat, which is a good thing. Older lamb, known as mutton, and certain breeds, may have a stronger aroma, so talk to your butcher about the types of lamb that they sell and which will have the least odour when cooking. Depending on the age and type of your lamb, it can present a more gamey taste and lamb smell than the beef that you’re used to. But, bad lamb smell doesn’t mean your lamb tastes bad. A few preparation and cooking tips will help you minimize lamb’s gamey aroma while making it and let you and serve a delicious lamb dinner. Livestrong.
First of all, lamb tastes like lamb because it has a fatty acid that beef doesn’t. It gives the meat its distinctive gamey flavour. You either love it, or you don’t. Lamb is also one of those farmed animals that lives a pretty good, ethical life before we get it. Most are allowed to wander on the range and eat grass. This is better than a high-protein and grain diet, which changes the texture and cooking quality. Lamb shouldn’t be super lean. Fat produced from grass creates a lovely flavoursome addition to the meat. Lamb’s robust flavour takes well to being seared and charred.
Prepping and Cleaning Lamb to Soften the Strong Flavour
If you are sensitive to the flavour of lamb, or do want to make it milder for kids, you can have the butcher butterfly a leg of lamb, removing the meat from the bone, and opening it up to reveal the fat pockets. Fat holds the flavour as well as the odour. You will cut out these fat pockets (but don’t go nuts trying to get every little bit) and then roll it back up and tie it for roasting. Before you roll it up you can even season it with herbs and garlic for an instant flavour boost. To tie it off on your own, just use butcher’s twine and tie off every 3/4 inch or so as tightly as you can. This will keep all the meat tight together meaning that there won’t be parts of the roast that cook faster than the rest.
It’s all about the fat in any cut of lamb. Fat holds flavour as well as odour, so trim as much excess fat as possible before cooking. The less fat that melts into the pan during the cooking process, the less aroma you’ll have in the kitchen. Trim the fat when the meat is cold to make it easier to remove. Let the meat get to room temperature before cooking to allow it to cook evenly and faster. Also, salting the meat can remove some of the internal juices, which can also be aromatic when they leave the meat and fries in a pan. Try soaking chops in water for 30 minutes to open the pores in the meat. Liberally salt both sides of the chops and let them sit for one hour. Scrape, then rinse, the salt from the meat before cooking. Now, this may be a mute point, if the lamb you are using doesn’t have a pronounced gamey flavour: ask your butcher, he will know.
Lamb Loves Herbs and Spices.
I especially lean towards the Middle Eastern and North African flavours for lamb, whether it’s for lamb chops, grilled lamb kebobs or lamb stews. Lamb is robust, so it needs to balanced with equally brash herbs and spices or else they will get overpowered by the meat. Outdoorsy, woodsy rosemary is a given. As well as sage, oregano and cilantro. For spices just look to Morocco, Lebanon, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Palestine etc: cumin, coriander seed, garlic, sumac, blends like baharat, vadouvan, harissa etc all hold their own on lamb. All of these cuisines have been cooking lamb way longer than the rest of us, so I bow to their input!
Some of Our Favourite Lamb Recipes to Try:
Moroccan Boneless Leg of Lamb: Garlic studded, plenty of rosemary, plus the added bonus of warm and earthy Moroccan Baharat or Ras-el-Hanout spice blends. The final result is juicy, tender and perfect for leftovers as well. A bright and warm Chermoula Sauce accompanies the lamb, as a fun replacement to traditional mint sauce.
Sumac Lamb Chops with Lemon Tahini Dipping Sauce: Elegant and simple at the same time! Everyone loves a good lamb chop, and these totally elevate the cut of meat into one perfect for dinner parties or small family gatherings. The sumac adds a lovely citrus tone to the chops, and the lemon tahini dipping sauce echos that citrus note.
Za’atar Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Rosemary Sauce: An elegant and fresh way to serve lamb. The Middle Eastern za’atar spice blend of dried thyme, oregano, sumac, and sesame seeds plays well with the natural flavour of lamb. The blueberry sauce is a fresh and vibrant way to finish this elevated roast.
Lamb Chops with Hasselback Potatoes and Green Tahini Sauce: Lamb chops are probably one of our most favourite cuts of meat. They cook fast, take to flavours beautifully, and can be dressed up or down. In this case, rich and juicy lamb chops are gathered together and served with a fabulously bright and earthy green sauce made with all the herbs, lemon, and garlic. This dipping sauce is wonderful drizzled over the lamb, or as a was to enjoy the mini hasselback potatoes.
Leftover Leg of Lamb Gyros: Remember that fabulous and juicy boneless leg of lamb I mentioned first in the list? Well, leftovers can be transformed into the best stuffed pita gyros ever. The leftover roast meat, is sliced thinly into strips or lengths that will be easy to manage when wrapped up and eaten. Toss the strips of meat in a small amount of oil, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cumin and chilli flakes and warm in a skillet (or your outdoor grill in the summer) over medium high heat. You don’t need to cook the meat, it is already cooked. You just want to warm the meat through, getting the seasonings to flavour the meat, and softening it enough to bite into. Once warmed through, drizzle with a splash of freshly squeezed lemon and it is ready to go be made into the classic wrapped sandwich.
Lamb Biryani: Here’s a great way to create a cozy and flavour-packed meal using cut up lamb shoulder. The layers of spices, aromatics, rice and tender lamb create a vibrant fragrance in the kitchen, and a party in your mouth. A great weekend dinner.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives: While this dish may seem more of a winter staple, the bright flavours of olives, tomatoes and herbs takes this meal to a fresher place. The meat is fall of the bone tender. Serve it with rice, polenta, or mashed potatoes, it really is quite satisfying, no matter what time of year you make it.
I hope this quick recap of the lamb recipes on the blog will give you some ideas if you are entertaining the idea of serving up lamb. Whether a leg, a chop, a shank, or shoulder, I have them covered!
If you make any of these Luscious Lamb recipes, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Here is a link to a comprehensive blog post with all the best Spring Vegetable sides to accompany lamb of all sorts. Also, check out the Sides, Vegetables, or Spring sections in the Recipe Index of the blog.
Love Jen
Been craving lamb, can’t wait to make the lamb recipes featured…starting with leg of lamb!
Hi Janice, Yay, good timing! Enjoy, good first choice! Love Jen