How to Cook
No, we are not offering recipes here, at least not yet, but we do
get asked how to cook different joints of lamb so here are a few guiding principles.
Bear in mind that lamb can be served quite rare or pink and this is a matter of personal choice. Some of the finer
cuts are more suited to cooking rare, eg, rack or fillet. Others, such as rolled breast or shoulder joints are better given
a long slow cook. There is the basic principle that the lower the temperature the longer the cooking time. However, lower
than about 120oC and you will be waiting six to seven hours to roast a whole leg.
Lamb responds well to a long slow cook and this is a good way of doing it if you have other things to do with the day as
it doesn’t need a close eye kept on it. But what does a slow cook mean? If you wade through your recipe books or look
at recipes on- line, the range of suggested cooking times is almost endless.
Remember also
that cooking is not an exact science and different ovens cook at different rates so if you have a fast oven ie one that cooks
hot, adjust the temperature down accordingly.
A standard roasting temperature is 180-190oC
(adjust down for fan ovens). For a medium cook, give it 25 minutes for every 1lb (450g) weight plus 25 minutes. For well done,
30 minutes per 1lb (450g) weight plus 30 minutes.
A long slow cook would be at about 150-160oC
(adjust down for fan ovens) for 45-50 minutes per 1lb (450g).
All lamb joints may also be
cooked in a slow cooker. Read the instructions for your particular cooker to obtain appropriate cooking times.
Please be aware that we cannot be responsible if these suggestions do not work for you.
