The FastDay Forum

I have just unpacked a whole lamb and tucked it up in the freezer. So exciting. I bought it from a farmer who deals in local currency so we did a deal 50/50 Australian Dollars and local currency. We met on a road off the highway between Launceston and Wynyard where he lives. He had been at the Farmers Market in Launceston. I have just spent a good half hour looking up recipes for odd things like heart and kidney. He gave me 3 hearts because they are hard to sell. I have learned that they can be slow cooked or fast cooked, stuffed or wrapped in bacon. There is a South African video of how to prepare it which I was very grateful for. Kidneys I have always had in steak and kidney pie, but I see you can have them many ways. I have 4. I have 4 racks of lamb, 4 leg roasts, 4 shoulders - I guess he must have cut them in half because one lamb only has 2 legs and 2 shoulders. I have loin chops. I have neck chops, I have shanks. I have a backstrap and a fillet. I asked for the brains but you can't get them. He said the only way to get brains was to get them from New Zealand! How can that be? We have as many sheep as they do and every sheep has brains, although you might wonder about that. What is your favourite cut of lamb and how do you like to cook it?

My absolutely favourite cut of lamb is whole leg roasted for 25 minutes a pound at 190 Celsius ( this is quite pink when finished though it will depend on your oven). I slit the skin in places all over and insert slivers of garlic and small sprigs of rosemary. Baste frequently and allow to stand for at least fifteen minutes before carving. I have also been known to baste with runny honey a couple of times in the last half hour of cooking but it's not really necessary with sweet spring lamb.

@Sallyo, as a child I can remember that my mother used to cook whole Ox hearts. She boiled them slowly first and then stuffed and roasted them just to crisp them up and give them a good colour. Sadly, we are no longer able to buy them in England ( since the CJD scare) but I'm sure that you could do something similar with lambs hearts.

Lamb is lovely, and I was quite shocked when I read that it's not very popular in North America. I tend to stew it, often with moroccan spices, and also love it with pearl barley, but if I could I'd have lots of roasted leg.
Do you have tinned lambs tongues in Australia? This was a 'delicacy' I saw in NZ. Actually, it was nice, but eating tongue makes me squeamish. (Illogical I know when I'm happy to eat other bits.)
I have contemplated buying half a lamb, so I shall be interested to read how you get on!

@Sallyo do you always do deals on some dodgy side street??? Hope you wore a disguise
I love lamb but I'm not a fan of the innards. I remember Mum used to buy sheeps hearts to feed to our cats. Strange about not being able to buy the brains, is it a health regulation maybe or are our sheep just brainless and the NZ sheep smart.

Well, he doesn't have a shop. This is paddock to plate. I don't know why we can't get brains. He said the butcher wouldn't give him the heads. My OH turned his nose up at the idea of hearts but I'll try anything once. The recipes make it look quite delicious. And yes, Annurca, I've had tongue. Not tinned, but fresh. It's good. Our boys still tell the story of how we fed them tongue as if it was child abuse! Another part of the lamb which we have learned how to use is the belly. You slow cook it like you would a pork belly, with lots of herbs and spices, wrapped in foil. And then after a few hours you take off the foil, turn up the oven to hot and crisp it up. Absolutely yummy!

Of course NZ lambs are smarter, although thats not saying much! And tinned tongue
? Ive never eaten it or seen it at the supermarket. Cant beat a great roast lamb leg with roast potato, kumara, pumpkin and peas for the green. Lots of pan gravy made with some red wine. Yum yum, might have to do one while its still roast weather.

We had half a lamb from a local farmer earlier in the year. We got all the kidneys, heart and liver as she said most people don't want them and she ends up throwing most away. I must admit they are still in the freezer although the rest of the lamb has been eaten. I'm not adverse to eating them at all but just have got to find a recipe to use them in as they are not in my usual recipe repitour.
It's great to get the meat from a local farmer with good husbandry standards and cut out the middle man.

Yes, it's very satisfying to know that this lamb has fed on grass in a North West Tasmanian paddock. I encourage you, @Nikipins to check out Mr Google for recipes for kidneys, heart etc. I was quite inspired. We did have lamb's fry last night and it was absolutely great, with bacon, mashed potato, onions and brussel stouts. It didn't look like a Celebrity Chef meal, but it was bloody good.

[quote="Sallyo"] bacon, mashed potato, onions and brussel stouts.

'Brussel STOUTS?' They sound about as fattening as the humble pie I'm scoffing by the ton at the moment

Ballerina x

Trim liver of membranes and any icky bits. Slice and dust with flour, pan fry in butter for a minute or 2 each side. Put aside and in the same pan fry sliced onions and bacon in butter until onions tender. Deglaze with about 100 mls pf port or red wine. Reduce a little then add about 50 mls orange juice and 150 mls stock. Boil til reduced and a little thickened. Add liver back to pan and heat thru for a minute or 2. Serve with mashed potato and a green. Preferably not brussel stouts!
Happy eating

[carorees]

We let our neighbour graze his sheep on our field and he pays us by giving us a whole lamb. No brains though we do get kidneys and liver. I use the kidneys in a casserole or include them in mince (I have a mincer attachment for my Kenwood chef). I usually mince the neck and belly. Liver is lovely as in the recipe by Julie.

Oh I love dodgy road side deals I tend to get most of our meat in bulk from local farmers too, and it's not only supporting our local economy but it tastes so much nicer too. Whole new topic, but love local currencies and swapping.

My absolute favourite way of eating kidneys is thinly slice and marinade in lemon juice for 1-2 hours, then lightly stir fry. Absolutely delicious. I've never successfully cooked brains, so haven't minded that I can't get any. Australian sheep brains probably all wind up in all those "sausage sizzle" sausages haha. Liver is nice as the traditional fry up with eggs and bacon, but also really good grilled and cubed, through pasta (although chicken livers are my favourite, specially very lightly fried with a splash of cream and served over salad).

Oh can you tell I'm fasting? Almost drooling over my keyboard!

OMG ox tongue is AMAZING, can't believe that the secret isn't out yet. In our family growing up, it was always a fight for who got the tip (the most tender). Now I claim it as "chef's privilege" lol. If you want an easy, unusual dried meat, slice a corned tongue thinly and dehydrate - because it's already salted, you don't need to add anything at all.

Anything Jamie Oliver but this one is a sure winner and really simple by Donna Hay

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes ... arlic-lamb