Don Martinich > wrote:
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>> In my experience, lamb shoulder is good for quick-cooking
>> (grill, broil, or fast roasting). Lamb leg is not, and I
>> often notice that people braise it.
>I'm surprised that you say this. The shoulder meat is tougher and needs
>long cooking. I suppose if you cook it very rare, it's a little more
>chewable than than at medium. I've always slow roasted them with great
>success.
Thanks. I'm not claiming lamb shoulder is not tough; but then the
lamb leg I've gotten is also pretty tough. I mostly am buying gnarly
lamb from the farmer's market.
I'd say a lamb shoulder chop is about as natively tough as a
(free range) pork shoulder chop; both are acceptable, neither
is tender, but the goal is flavor. I'll have to try long-braising
or long-roasting lamb shoulder sometime...
S.
Lamb legs can be cooked to medium and not be dried out and the
>shank will then be done enough. The saddle end of the lamb leg works
>well when done somewhat rare. You just miss too much real lamb flavor
>when it's half-raw. My family always went with garlic and rosemary and
>so do I. My mother used baste leg of lamb with a mix of orange juice and
>cheap dry sherry. It browned wonderfully and her pan reduction gravies
>were heavenly.
>
>D.M.