Skip to main content
RSS

Lobel's Culinary Club - Recipes, menu ideas, cooking techniques, meat selection tips, and more from America's #1 family of butchers.

Navigation

  • Categories
  • Archives
  • 175th anniversary
  • about lobel's
  • ask the butcher
  • autumn
  • bacon
  • barbecue
  • beef
  • braising
  • christmas
  • cinco de mayo
  • cooking tools
  • culinary classics
  • culinary diy
  • cut of the month
  • easter
  • entertaining
  • food history
  • food pairings
  • grilling
  • guide to meat
  • ham
  • hanukkah
  • holidays
  • lamb
  • lobel's prime meats in manhattan
  • new products
  • new year
  • passover
  • pork
  • poultry
  • recipes & techniques
  • recipes & techniques
  • roasting
  • sausage
  • seafood
  • seasons
  • smoking
  • social media
  • spring
  • stewing
  • summer
  • super sunday
  • thanksgiving
  • t-roy cooks
  • turkey
  • valentine's day
  • veal
  • videos
  • winter
  • yankee stadium
  • November 2021
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011

Links

  • Lobels.com
  • Lobel’s Facebook
  • Lobel’s Pinterest
  • Lobel’s YouTube
  • Home
  • Welcome
  • Articles
  • Contact Us

Welcome

Welcome to the new Lobel’s Culinary Club.

In the years since we launched our Web site and online butcher shop, the Lobel’s Culinary Club has become the cornerstone of our communications with our customers old and new. Our e-mails span the latest news about products and promotions to help you plan peak dining experiences for family meals, special events, and casual entertaining.

A fundamental part of the Culinary Club content comes from our unique perspective as butchers on meat handling and preparation. And while there are many recipes to share, we want to help you go beyond specific recipes to a wider world of in-depth explorations of cooking techniques. When you understand the fundamentals, you are free to invent your own culinary masterpieces.

We believe the more you know about preparing the finest meat money can buy, the more you will enjoy serving it to your family and friends.

With the launch of our expanded Culinary Club, we’ve created a living archive of knowledge that is gleaned from past e-mails and will grow with future e-mails.

Within the Culinary Club, we hope you’ll find numerous and useful resources to enhance your confidence in preparing the finest and freshest meats available, and ensure your absolute delight with the results.

For your dining pleasure,

lobels Signature

Stanley, David, Mark, and Evan Lobel

Lobel Family at the Carving Station

Articles by Month:

  • November 2021
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011

Articles by Subject:

  • 175th anniversary
  • about lobel's
  • ask the butcher
  • autumn
  • bacon
  • barbecue
  • beef
  • braising
  • christmas
  • cinco de mayo
  • cooking tools
  • culinary classics
  • culinary diy
  • cut of the month
  • easter
  • entertaining
  • food history
  • food pairings
  • grilling
  • guide to meat
  • ham
  • hanukkah
  • holidays
  • lamb
  • lobel's prime meats in manhattan
  • new products
  • new year
  • passover
  • pork
  • poultry
  • recipes & techniques
  • recipes & techniques
  • roasting
  • sausage
  • seafood
  • seasons
  • smoking
  • social media
  • spring
  • stewing
  • summer
  • super sunday
  • thanksgiving
  • t-roy cooks
  • turkey
  • valentine's day
  • veal
  • videos
  • winter
  • yankee stadium

Cut of the Month: Leg of Lamb

On March 10,2014 In cut of the month , easter , lamb , passover , spring , recipes & techniques , recipes & techniques , holidays , food history

The Lobel family of Lobel’s Prime Meats in Manhattan and Lobel’s of New York online butcher shop are fourth- and fifth-generation butchers. With our Cut of the Month series, we will bring you their wealth of knowledge and expertise on specific cuts of meat, including their unique characteristics, preparation methods, and how to select the best cut.

Lamb is often on our minds come March. The spring holidays are just around the corner, and lamb is a popular selection for both Passover dinners and Easter celebrations. Likewise, the old English proverb about March weather also brings lamb to mind: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. For these reasons, we’ve selected Leg of Lamb for this month’s Cut of the Month.

Cooked - Leg of Lamb

Spring Lamb

Why is it that we tend to eat lamb in spring? Well, before the rise in globalization led to consumers being able to buy strawberries in winter and apples in spring, there was a time when each food was relegated to a particular season—and for lamb that season was spring.

Because of their thick wool, sheep were originally farmed in colder northern climates, and lambs were born in spring. Therefore, spring lambs were young with delicate, mild meat. The term “spring lamb” could also be used to refer to lambs born in the spring who were raised through the early summer and slaughtered later in summer, yielding more flavorful meat.

These days, sheep can be raised in varying climates. Also, New Zealand and Australian lamb can be imported to the U.S. year-round. At Lobel’s of New York, we offer only domestic, all-natural lamb from the Rocky Mountain high-country. Through our proprietary relationships with Western suppliers, we are able to procure the finest lamb available every season of the year.

However, many people still often associate springtime with lamb. Since Easter and Passover both occur in springtime, lamb is a popular choice for menus for both occasions. Additionally, since these holidays are traditional family gathering times, large cuts that can feed a group are an ideal choice. Therefore, leg of lamb is ideal for the season.

How You Slice It

lamblegbg

Ask your Local Butcher

Leg of lamb is cut from the hind leg and includes both the top and the lower parts of the leg, which are called, respectively, the sirloin (or butt) and the shank. Leg of lamb is considered a treat by most lamb lovers. It’s an expensive cut but is absolutely delicious.

Most people buy the whole leg, but if you have a small family, you might want to buy a half leg. On the other hand, you could buy a whole leg, have the butcher cut it into two roasts, and freeze one half. Or, if a whole leg is just slightly too big for your needs, the butcher can slice a few steaks from the sirloin end, which could be served at a later meal.

Sirloin (Butt) Half of Leg

The top part of the leg, this is a very tender, meaty roast with wonderful flavor. We like it for small gatherings, as it serves only four or five. It can be cut into chops, which are sometimes called lamb steaks.

Shank Half of Leg

The shank roast is small and therefore attractive for small families. It is not as tender as the butt end, so does best when cooked slowly.

Bone-In Leg of Lamb

This is the full leg with the bone left intact. It has marvelous flavor, is perfect for roasting, and is a traditional roast for festive family gatherings.

Boneless (Boned and Rolled) Leg of Lamb

A leg of lamb from which the bone has been removed might be referred to as boned, boned-out, bone-out, or boneless. When a customer asks for a boned leg of lamb for rolling, we cut the tip end from the shank and then bone the leg of lamb so that it can be rolled and tied. The home cook can unroll the meat and fill it with a savory stuffing made up of herbed bread crumbs, dried fruit, vegetables, and other ingredients, and then roll it up and tie it again.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb

This is a boneless leg of lamb (see above) that is opened and flattened and used most often for grilling. It’s impossible to flatten the leg meat evenly, which means this is a lumpy cut that will not cook evenly as will a beef or veal steak. Lamb lovers do not object to this at all and instead claim that this makes the butterflied leg of lamb perfect for a group: the thicker and thinner parts of the meat cook to different degrees of doneness, so everyone’s tastes are accommodated.

Watch Evan Lobel showing Martha Stewart how to butterfly a leg of lamb on the Butchering episode of “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School.”

Leg of Lamb Recipes

Evan’s Roast Leg of Lamb

This is a simple and classic preparations that includes two fragrant and flavorful ingredients that have a wonderful affinity for lamb: mustard and rosemary.

Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Pistachio Crust

Lamb has an affinity for pistachio nuts, as in this bone-in leg of lamb with a crusty coating of pistachios, bread crumbs, mustard, and rosemary—an herb that has its own love affair with lamb. The roast is served Sunday-dinner style, with potatoes, carrots, and onions roasted alongside the lamb.

Spring Leg of Lamb Roasted with Ham

This unique recipe is perfect for Easter dinner in that it combines the two seasonal favorites— lamb and ham—together in one delicious roasted dish.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Currant Jelly

This mouth-watering recipe calls for a blanket of bacon and onions over the leg of lamb, spread with currant jelly and served alongside a pan gravy.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb Marinated in Yogurt and Mint

Take your lamb outside! Lamb and yogurt is a match made in heaven, and when mixed with garlic, mint, and fresh thyme, the perfect combination just gets better. With flavorful marinades such as those we suggest with lamb, you won’t miss gravy made from pan juices.

 

What’s your favorite way to prepare leg of lamb? What are your favorite flavors to pair with lamb: rosemary, mustard, mint? Do you enjoy lamb for Easter or Passover dinner?

Leave Your Response

* *

© Copyright 2018
Lobel's Culinary Club.
All Rights Reserved

Lobel's of New York