Why would anyone eat lamb when beef is widely available, tastes better and is cheaper ?
@Doug Hill
1/ Lamb is consistently delicious and easy to cook.
Beef varies greatly in quality, and is not easy to cook to perfection; even a minute's overcooking can take it beyond rare or medium rare, and render it tough.
This does not happen with lamb.
2/ Cold roast lamb is always tender, cold beef can be a bit chewy.
3/ Why would anyone need to be as dogmatic as you?
8
Yes because today's lamb is high in flavor and marble, and low in gaminess but still delicious lamb that serves as a palate for garlic and herbs, and a bevy of roasted vegetables.
A loin lamb chop, pan fried, salt and pepper lets the flavor of the lamb shine.
2
An alternative to buying a 1 1/2 to 2 pound center cut sirloin steak is to buy a butt-half of a leg of lamb and cut it into steaks/chops yourself (or ask the butcher to do it). All that's needed is a knife (for the meat) and a hacksaw (for the bone). It's not difficult and your first results might not be pretty, but they will taste very good.
Any steaks not needed immediately can be frozen -- put some wax paper between them.
If you don't have a hacksaw in your kitchen, you should get one.
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@Michael
Or bone the leg, which is not hard, and use the bone in stock. Hacksaw is a good tool in the kitchen, ditto boning knife.
@Elle Agreed.
Never been a lamb fan but dang, those sliced tomatoes on the grill look so beautiful and delicious, they could be a meal in and of itself.
Fantastic photography Karsten Moran!
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"Americans don’t eat much lamb" -- could this be because lambs are cute, even though stupid, animals?
I think that steak is a food for all seasons. A two- to three-inch-thick steak, fried in skillet and finished in the oven, is easy and simple to make. Albeit not cheap.
I stay away from grilled tomatoes as an accompaniment. French fries or potato purée of the late Joël Robluchon are my favorites.
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@Tuvw Xyz I think "cute" applies to Disney characters more than live animals. I would describe them as lovely, gentle woolly creatures who live in peace. Humans are stupid enough to create wars and kill each other.
As you eat steak often you will have become skilled in cooking it. Someone who does not eat steak often does not have that practice and may be disappointed, as may their guest/s.
Lamb is one of my favorite meats. But due to the import of inferior lamb from Australia and New Zealand, the American producers decided, absurdly, to price it as a luxury meat and render it completely unaffordable, even the shanks, for ordinary people. I used to buy a leg of lamb and have it cut into thin steaks, much superior to standard chops, no gristle. I've never seen lamb shoulder available. Many chefs over-season lamb with garlic and fresh rosemary, which bury the deliciousness of the meat. I prefer winter savory, marjoram and other such savory dry herbs with just one clove of garlic, or a sprinkling of garlic powder.
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@Grittenhouse The UK imports a quantity of New Zealand lamb and there is nothing inferior about it. You need to change your supplier. I don't know what you mean by American producers; perhaps you mean suppliers? And why not ASK them to obtain shoulder?
No reason why they shouldn't.
May I suggest you try thicker lamb steaks, not thin slices. Never mind what "many chefs" do!
Dry herbs? No! Mint sauce is popular here, but NOT that dreadful sweet jelly stuff. Best made with fresh mint, mild vinegar and just a pinch of sugar.
Bon appetit!
Try Costco. Lamb rack there best meat value in American retailing.