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Personally I am not a fan of pink flesh when it comes to lamb, neither are the rest of the family so by the time any lamb joint is roasted it is dimished in size, then when the bone is removed, there is a frugal amount of meat.

However, I have recently found a butcher who sells (at just under £9 a kilo) totally fat free chunks of lamb and for a a curry I think that it works very well. I found that 200 grammes makes enough for the two of us and the size of the portions  are  more generous than I expected. I think lamb and curry are a perfect match. Chicken is too weak in it's own flavour so is overwhelmed when made into curry. My view.  

I am not brilliant at Indian spice mixing so I got one of those ready prepared from Sharwoods and followed the suggestion on the packet for the recipe. (well mostly)

It was simple enough (it must have been I followed it) We loved the result but I admit to an ice cube of chopped home grown chillis was added to give it the kick we like.

This week somewhere had a lot of boned and rolled lamb breasts so I bought one and from Morrisons some nice new butcher had generously boned the legs of lamb so they were selling off the bones for stock. The lot went into the slow cooker with veg, yesterdays water used to steam veg and a stock cube. After leaving it to simmer off whiilst we had a day on the lottie I noticed the veg was at the top swimming in fat .

So, and I know a certain lady in Canada will cringe at this. I have taken out the meat, served the bones to the dog then strained the veg to let the stock and fat  go cold and separate so that tomorrow I will make up a Lancashire hot pot style meal.

Does any one have a favourite lamb dish which does not cost a fortune they could share with us?

I'm afraid I generally find lamb too expensive and far too fatty. Tried a slow cooker stew over the winter and it was just swimming in fat. Horrible. Did have a leg of lamb at the weekend, but that was only cause it was half price in Sainsbury's and even than I balked at the cost. That one roasted down ok, but it's not something I make a habit of buying. Generally go for pork or chicken, although I have had some really fatty pork cuts. I prefer generous portions of meat, or maybe I'm just tight   ;D

That certain lady would do exactly  the same to make stock, and also that certain lady does use left over lamb if you remember..it is her favourite meat and does stand re heating.

I would go with the hop pot in this case.

I like lamb cooked slowly  , and yes you can use cooked lamb,with  onions, soup cereal and fine slice spuds, with cream added to it.

XX Jeannine

Many Greek recipes start with ground cooked lamb.


She doesn't like left over veggies, gravy, pastry or any general reheated over dinner as is.BUT completely changing the form works even for that certain lady in some things
Last Sunday I roasted a selection of root veggies and cooked a piece of beef slowly in a seperate casserole. Next day I cubed the left over veggies and meat, adding it to he left over gravy, chucked in a big glob of tomato puree and a few spices, bunged it in the oven on low,it came out a great spicy/tomatoey stew, served over rice it was fine.  It looked and tasted nothing like the original.

We get lamb shoulders from our butcher, and he hacks them into bony pieces. I cook them slowly for a long time with tins of tomatoes, some onions, herbs, whatever is about; the fat rises to the top and can be skimmed off with a ladle and poured into a bowl to set. When it is set, give it to the birds or otherwise dispose of it, and add the goo at the bottom to the casserole. I think it is delicious and fairly cheap.

You can cook it with slabs of potato on the top, when they absorb the fat, go brown and crisp on the top, and are lovely.

I adore lamb and above all roast leg on the bone served pink. But al the rest is excellent too. And good that we all use it all up.

I buy boned and rolled breast of lamb from my local farmers market. They cost around £3 each and there's no waste. I usually slow roast it with garlic and rosemary, and its delicious. There's always enough left for another meal, usually either dry fried until crisp, or curry. For Easter, we had the knuckle end of shoulder of lamb and I slow roasted that again with garlic and rosemary and made the left overs into fricasee with peppers, mushrooms and sweetcorn, served with rice. This was more expensive around £7, but really succulent,  and not too fatty at all. I think a lot may have to do with how the animal is reared and what it is fed on, and also the breed of sheep. My Easter joint was from a Poll Dorset, which has enough fat for taste, but not so much that its sickly. My advice would be to try your local farmers market if you have one. They are really knowledgeable and have lots of the cheaper joints of meat as well as the more expensive.
HTH
Kitty Katt

The butchers in my local supermarket were selling legs of lamb for €5 a kilo just before Easter so I bought two.  No space in the freezer for more which is a pity.  Normally it's €15 or more.

We had one roast pink for Easter Sunday and flavoured with rosemary, garlic, ginger and soy.  I think lamb is my favourite meat - flavour, tenderness, versatility. - closely followed by proper pork.   Beef can be tough and boring.  Chicken is bland.  Game is expensive. 

Unfortunately, Belgians only seem to eat lamb chops and legs and everything else gets chopped up for stews.  It's frustrating as I lob-ve lamb's kidneys, shoulder of lamb, lamb shanks and all the rest for a wide range of dishes throughout the year.

Quote from: PurpleHeather on April 08, 2010, 18:17:11
I have taken out the meat, served the bones to the dog then strained the veg to let the stock and fat  go cold and separate so that tomorrow I will make up a Lancashire hot pot style meal.

From what I have read and experienced, cooked lamb bones are not recommended for dogs as they can splinter and get stuck in the roof of their mouth or in their throat.  Raw bones are all right though.