In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:


> In my experience, lamb shoulder is good for quick-cooking
> (grill, broil, or fast roasting). Lamb leg is not, and I
> often notice that people braise it.
>
I'm surprised that you say this. The shoulder meat is tougher and needs
long cooking. I suppose if you cook it very rare, it's a little more
chewable than than at medium. I've always slow roasted them with great
success. Lamb legs can be cooked to medium and not be dried out and the
shank will then be done enough. The saddle end of the lamb leg works
well when done somewhat rare. You just miss too much real lamb flavor
when it's half-raw. My family always went with garlic and rosemary and
so do I. My mother used baste leg of lamb with a mix of orange juice and
cheap dry sherry. It browned wonderfully and her pan reduction gravies
were heavenly.

D.M.

Don Martinich > wrote:

> (Steve Pope) wrote:

>> In my experience, lamb shoulder is good for quick-cooking
>> (grill, broil, or fast roasting). Lamb leg is not, and I
>> often notice that people braise it.

>I'm surprised that you say this. The shoulder meat is tougher and needs
>long cooking. I suppose if you cook it very rare, it's a little more
>chewable than than at medium. I've always slow roasted them with great
>success.

Thanks. I'm not claiming lamb shoulder is not tough; but then the
lamb leg I've gotten is also pretty tough. I mostly am buying gnarly
lamb from the farmer's market.

I'd say a lamb shoulder chop is about as natively tough as a
(free range) pork shoulder chop; both are acceptable, neither
is tender, but the goal is flavor. I'll have to try long-braising
or long-roasting lamb shoulder sometime...

S.
Lamb legs can be cooked to medium and not be dried out and the
>shank will then be done enough. The saddle end of the lamb leg works
>well when done somewhat rare. You just miss too much real lamb flavor
>when it's half-raw. My family always went with garlic and rosemary and
>so do I. My mother used baste leg of lamb with a mix of orange juice and
>cheap dry sherry. It browned wonderfully and her pan reduction gravies
>were heavenly.
>
>D.M.

On Thu, 9 Apr 2009 02:15:12 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>I mostly am buying gnarly lamb from the farmer's market.

Which farmer's market is that, Steve?


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf > wrote:

>On Thu, 9 Apr 2009 02:15:12 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
>Pope) wrote:

>>I mostly am buying gnarly lamb from the farmer's market.

>Which farmer's market is that, Steve?

All three of the Berkeley ones, and sometimes Thursday Marin.

S.

On Thu, 9 Apr 2009 03:37:26 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>sf > wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 9 Apr 2009 02:15:12 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
>>Pope) wrote:
>
>>>I mostly am buying gnarly lamb from the farmer's market.
>
>>Which farmer's market is that, Steve?
>
>All three of the Berkeley ones, and sometimes Thursday Marin.
>
Same purveyor?


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf > wrote:

[ lamb from the farmer's market ]

>>All three of the Berkeley ones, and sometimes Thursday Marin.

>Same purveyor?

In Berkeley, yes, Highland Hills. They purvey lamb, goat,
beef, and pork. Don't recall who was at Marin.

Steve

On Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:40:50 -0700, Don Martinich >
wrote:

>My mother used baste leg of lamb with a mix of orange juice and
>cheap dry sherry. It browned wonderfully and her pan reduction gravies
>were heavenly.

Oooh, that's right up my alley, I'm going to try it!

Thanks.

--
I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.