Spices, Sauces & Seasonings

Nova Scotia Lamb is known for its versatility and delicate flavour. While it’s very good served on its own – it also allows you to use a variety of seasonings and flavours. Spices such as garlic, rosemary, marjoram, basil, mint, thyme, ginger and oregano create flavour sensations. They can be sprinkled on meat before cooking or added to gravies and sauces. Flavourings such as lemon pepper, onion and curry are popular with lamb creations. You may want to consider making slits in tops of roasts before baking and insert slivers of garlic, mint leaves or sprigs of parsley.

Lamb can be served with traditional mint sauces but consider the possibility of red pep-per jelly, sweet and sour, souvlaki and teriyaki, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, cranberry sauce, grape, currant or mint jelly with your lamb dishes.

Consider garnishing with broiled peach or pear halves, pineapple, tomatoes or mushrooms. Use your imagination!

Cooking

Lamb is one of the best meats to cook from a frozen state because it does not get tough or dry.

While cooking times vary for lamb, it should be roasted at 160° C. Internal temperature of lamb roasts should reach 65° C for medium and 75° C for well done. It is important not to overcook lamb – fresh lamb is tender, juicy and delicious when slightly pink in the middle.

Serving

Serve lamb piping hot on warmed plates to best enhance lamb’s delicate flavour. When using lamb in salads or serving cold, let it stand at room temperature for 2 – 4 hours, slice and serve.

Lamb can be served with white or red wines.

To braise means to cook food very slowly in liquid in a covered container. The secret is to go slowly! You can braise on top of the stove or in a slow, 250 degree oven. Its all-over heat gives a deeper, richer flavor and even cooking. Don’t drown the food in liquid but use enough to cook in a moist environment. The best cuts of meat for braising are lean, tough cuts such as shanks. Keep in mind that there is very little moisture in the meat. Don’t think about “cooking” as much as “encouraging” the meat to tenderness. The cooking liquid can be water, wine, stock, or a combination.

Check for doneness with a pair of tongs. When the meat is done, it will pull away from the bone with no resistance. Let the braised meat cool in the braising liquid. As meat cooks, it relaxes and releases its juices. If it remains in the braising liquid as it cools, the juices will stay in the meat.

Roasting should be done in a 325F oven. No need to preheat first.

Per 100g serving. All calculations are based on uncooked lamb.

*The fat trim for the lamb cuts was not specified.

**Ground lamb prepared with meat from the loin and shoulder would have different profile

*** All Chicken is with meat and skin. All Beef and Pork are 1/4″ trim.

Source: Canadian Nutrient File, 1997 & Maxxam Analytics 1998