Tag: leg of lamb

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twice cooked leg of lamb with black rice and crouton stuffing

the secret is cooking it 'twice'

One of the little secrets I have found in having a larger cut of lamb taste terrific is to boil it prior to baking, grilling or barbecuing it! Boiling ( or simmering)  and a little physical treatment is a much better tenderizer than acid treatments ( like citrus) or enzyme pastes ( like pineapple, kiwi or papaya ) which reduce lamb to mush.

Have you ever wondered why you must sear your meat? Most people like to claim it ‘locks in the juices’ of the meat prior to inclusion in a stew, which is partially true. However, in the history of culinary science there is a much better reason… the seared meat becomes more flavorful in what is referred to as the Maillard Reaction. (In 1912, chemist Louis-Camille Maillard in an attempt to reproduce biological protein synthesis discovered the reaction. The flavor is determined by the type of amino acid affected at about 309 degrees, which is significantly above boiling… which is why we sear meat prior to placing meat into a stew… or the meat is virtually flavorless.).

The nice thing about searing a boneless leg of lamb is that you can sear both sides. Having the inside seared has a big advantage in transmitting additional flavors to the stuffing!  I also sear the meat prior to boiling, then stuff the leg of lamb, ti it off , then roast!

the right stuffing sets off the dish perfectly and adds its own flavors to the course.

You may find that your stuffing might be too large for the leg of lamb, or the meat has shrunk a bit… well, place the stuffing in a ‘soup sock’ and wrap the meat around it as best you can. One advantage of the soup sock is that you can dip it into a liquid mixture of your choosing… chicken broth, butter and rosemary is one option.

Tender, moist and delicious with a nice spicy honey glaze on this wonderful lamb from Superior Farms.