Do Not Read This If You Are Vegatarian

A debate has been raging in my own head for a couple of years now as to what is the best type of meat out there. There are as you would imagine three main contenders....lamb, pork and beef and even though there are plenty of other fantastic meats out there like game, poultry and venison they don't have the range of possibilities that the big 3 have! This is by no means the definitive answer on the subject as I am still in some doubt myself and my personal favourite changes weekly however after lunch today I have settled on Pork as my favourite meat at least until my next great meal and my fickle mind has been dragged off in another direction again.

I had a very simple bacon and cabbage roast lunch in a local pub today that got my mind racing on the whole subject again. Sure you can have a great steak or slow cooked oxtail, a great Irish stew or tasty lamb kebabs but I got thinking about the number of options there are with pork and it is quite literally staggering....A simple bacon buttie(sandwich for those not familiar with this), roast pork with lovely crispy crackling, black and white pudding, 1000s of varieties of sausages worldwide, Ham and pea soup, stuffed pork tenderloin, crispy pancetta, proscuitto, BBQ ribs, glazed ham, Pork ramen noodles and i could literally go on with this list from now until 2010 but I am sure you are getting the message. I think I am about as close as I possibly could be right now to agreeing in my own head that Pork is the finest meat, although I am going for a burger with friends tonight so that might all change.

Easy & Impressive--Leg of Lamb

Looking at the recipe index on this site, I realize I have only written one lamb recipe. That's a shame. I like lamb a lot. I think it's a well-kept secret that lamb is actually very easy to cook. I used to have a friend who made leg of lamb every time she threw a dinner party. People thought she was a fabulous cook, but really, leg of lamb was ALL she knew how to cook!

When the American Lamb Board offered to send me some local lamb I was more than happy to accept. When it arrived I was a bit overwhelmed. It was boneless leg of lamb, but over seven pounds. Fortunately I had a good friend to help guide me, master of all things meaty, Biggles over at Meathenge. His suggestion was as follows:

Why don't you try a meat puzzle? Take a look and see if you can get 2 little roasts and some kebob action out of it? 2-2 pound roasts and the rest for kebobs?

This turned out to be great advice. Indeed, it was easy to trim the fat, find the membranes and natural points at which to divide up the meat. Small roasts take a bit longer to cook than kebabs, but the marinade or spice rub you use can be exactly the same. The expert's suggestion:

Something Mediterranean. Cilantro, toasted coriander seeds, garlic, onion, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Maybe something with some heat to it? Curry? If you did that on Friday, Saturday cooking would be divine. Wine poured over as a baste? We're set.

The lamb roast of just under two pounds was marinated, then grilled slowly until the internal temperature reached just under 140 degrees. 145 degrees is rare, but if you take it off the heat before that, the carryover heat brings it up to temperature. It was a great addition to the party this past weekend

Last night, I used some of the trimmings to make lamb kebabs which cook under the broiler in minutes flat. I used a rub of dried herbs--mint, rosemary, oregano, some garlic and mustard seeds. A little oil helps the meat to brown nicely. Delicious and easy peasy. Best of all, local lamb is likely to be fresher, and fresher is tastier. Ok, I like it fresher, some like it aged and gamey. No recipes are really necessary, use a marinade or rub you like and use a thermometer to check the temperature. You can marinate overnight or just sprinkle on the herbs or spices right before cooking. Lamb is good rare, medium and well-done. It's also less common than pork or beef which makes it something special to savor at a party or for a weeknight dinner at home.

FOOD