Thursday, March 20, 2008

To Lamb or Not To Lamb… that is the question (with apologies to Will!)

With Easter just days away, the question of what to serve for dinner is upon us. Lamb, of course, is traditional and will probably win the day at the Higgs household this year. That might not have been the case, except that we have a newfound fondness for the wooly little critter.

Like many people, I have not always cared much for lamb (they’re cute, but for eating I usually prefer beef… “real food for real people.”) The occasional leg of lamb for special events or lamb chops, if you can afford them, were okay. But recent events have changed my mind. You see, Suzanne has a friend who raises sheep, and not long ago we bought one of the butchered lambs.

All of a sudden I was faced with what to do to make a bunch of steaks, chops, roasts and legs palatable. Not to mention the challenge of ground lamb, stew meat, and lamb liver (the dogs won that one!)

Believing that lamb is more frequently eaten in the UK, I emailed a cousin in England and asked for any special lamb recipes she might have. She sent me a link to a BBC food site, which has a ton of lamb recipes. I will be trying some that sound particularly good.

But one thing I learned was that garlic, fresh rosemary, and feta cheese can turn lamb into something truly delicious. Another thing I learned was that a privately raised young lamb tastes a whole lot different than most of the lamb that I’ve eaten before. So, give lamb another try. Don’t overcook it. Don’t be afraid to be creative. And, if you’ve got a favorite lamb recipe, share it with the rest of us.

Bon appetit!

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