Honestly, I don't blame you if you thought that you could treat every cut the same from a half a lamb and expect delicious results every time, but fair warning:
YOU CAN'T.
So, in the next 400+ words, I will lay out a simple idea to help you know exactly what cooking method the next cut you pull out of the freezer needs.
It's actually quite simple if you know the basic anatomy of a lamb. (but if you're like me when it comes to all the names of the cuts from a half a cow, I have hardly a clue which is which)
But here's the big idea:
The specific cut of meat came from a specific part of the lamb's body, and according to the part of the body it came from, that's the key to helping you know what method of cooking to use.
Because if you didn't know this simple fact; there are naturally tougher and more tender cuts of lamb meat (when it's in the raw, that is).
The toughest cuts of meat will come from the muscle groups that get used the most.
And of course, the most tender cuts of meat will come from the muscle groups that don't get used as often.
So, here's the question you need to ask the next time you slice open that pack of farm fresh lamb meat and get to thawing it out:
"What muscle group of the carcass did this cut come from, and how much of a workload did it have over the lamb's lifetime?"
Because trust me, identifying the cut as naturally tender or tough will help you transform it into the tender, fall-off-the-bone cuts you want.
For example, if the cut you're wanting to cook, came from the leg of the animal, those muscles have been used the most, therefore cuts from this part of the lamb will make some of the toughest meat, if not cooked properly (i.e. leg roasts, leg steaks, leg of lamb, shank roasts, even a shoulder roast or shoulder steak).
For these types of naturally tougher cuts, make sure you plan for a low and slow cooking method like oven roasting, smoking, or stewing on the stovetop.
Then for the other cuts, like loin chops or sirloin chops, you can grill or pan-sear them and have a delicious meal in just a few minutes.
This is because they come from a lesser used muscle group and are naturally more tender in the raw (but beware, do NOT overcook these babies!).
So, in reality, a higher percentage of the cuts from a half a lamb will fare the best from the low and slow cooking methods.
Even the rack of lamb, which is from the same area as the more tender, loin and sirloin chops, will make the most pleasing dish when cooked low and slow.
And of course, do I need to mention that you can cook ground lamb up like you would any other of your favorite ground burger meat?
So, quick recap:
Identify which muscle group the cut of lamb meat came from; whether it worked hard (tough) or lived the lazy life (tender), then cook it accordingly.
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