Sleeplessness & Lamb Part 2

Titus slept so badly last night, that he put himself down for a nap this morning. He and I had some quality hours of bonding last night and I have a feeling we are both going to feel it today. My sweet husband brought me coffee in an insulated travel mug, left it on my night stand, and let me sleep while he got the kids' breakfast and then settled them in before leaving for work. I'm not sure why Ty was so incredibly restless - could have been teeth or gas - he seemed uncomfortable.

I also wanted to re-visit the lamb post from last week (remember how much I love to eat lamb but didn't enjoy cooking it?!). Andrew's aunt wrote me the sweetest e-mail about lamb and I wanted to share part of it here (they raise lambs!) - she told me the reason it smelled so bad and how to reduce the smell. Anyway, I thought it might be helpful and perhaps encourage some of you to try it - it really is tasty!

So here it is:

The fat in lamb is what makes the smell. At room temperature, the fat is much more solid that either beef or pork. Ideally you would like to cook so that the grease all drains away from the meat. A leg of lamb roasted on a rack with a garlic salt rub is one of our favorite dishes for a special occasion. (Something in the garlic tends to counteract the grease.) Also lamb chops broiled or grilled with a seasoning salt is also tasty.

I don't enjoy using ground lamb as much as ground pork or beef, but when we butcher, there always is some ground. Try to cook it with garlic from the very beginning (don't wait until the meat is browned to add the seasoning), and try to cook in such a way that you can be draining the grease off frequently. When I do use it in stews, etc, barley is a good combination in addition to the vegetables rather than potatoes or rice.

I know that you purchased locally, so if you do buy again, ask how old the lamb was at slaughter time. The distinctive lamb smell grows stronger as they age, so under 6 months is ideal, 6 months to a year is still considered lamb, and over a year it really is mutton (which is what my dad's generation remember getting during WWII and is offensive to many).

Thanks for the helpful ideas and information!