What can I make with leftover lamb?

January 3, 2016 4:54 PM

I cooked a 6 pound boneless leg of lamb. It was delicious. But I have a lot of leftovers. What can I do with it? We don't mind eating it cold as is, but can I make it into anything? It's already cooked, so I'm not sure how to make a stew or curry with it. What should I do?

I'm a good cook and know how to make sauces, stews, etc. from scratch. I just need some general ideas here, not specific recipes (although specific recipes are good to). What can I do with all this lamb?!

posted by OrangeDisk to Food & Drink (19 answers total)

Shepherds pie is the classic recipe for leftover roast lamb, done the traditional way.
posted by Youremyworld at 4:58 PM on January 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

You can dice it and throw it into (or onto) just about anything (e.g. rice, beans, steamed veggies, sautéed veggies, curry or other sauce, soup) towards the end of cooking so it basically just reheats. We do this with meat all the time and it works quite nicely. You can also add it (cold) to a salad if that sounds appealing.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:03 PM on January 3, 2016

Stew would actually work fine - that's how my grandmother used to make stews; she would cook the crap out of the meat, serve some for Sunday dinner, then cut up the leftovers, toss in a pot with vegetables, simmer forever, then we would eat it for days. If you're concerned about it being flavorless if made with pre-cooked meat (it won't be), maybe start with a dark roux, add beef broth, and use that as your base.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 5:05 PM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sliced thin in sandwiches. Diced with diced potatoes and onions in hash.
posted by bricoleur at 5:15 PM on January 3, 2016

You can dice it and throw it into (or onto) just about anything (e.g. rice, beans, steamed veggies, sautéed veggies, curry or other sauce, soup) towards the end of cooking so it basically just reheats. We do this with meat all the time and it works quite nicely. You can also add it (cold) to a salad if that sounds appealing.

This is exactly what I was going to say. The only difference from using raw meat is that it goes in at the end, and so you may need to use more bouillon or other techniques for the broth.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:43 PM on January 3, 2016

Pita sandwiches with Greek salad and tzatziki.
This sandwich with tomato chutney and goat cheese.
Cornish pasties.
Simmer briefly with enchilada sauce and make lamb tacos or enchiladas.
Cut into small cubes and make lamb chili.
posted by chickenmagazine at 6:09 PM on January 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

Many Indian sauces would be lovely with it -- saag, korma, or masala would all work. Just add the lamb chunks in ten minutes or so before the sauce is done to heat through and let the flavors mingle.

You could also stuff finely chopped lamb into homemade falafel or mashed yucca balls before frying.
posted by ananci at 6:16 PM on January 3, 2016

We recently made lamb tacos with leftovers - won't use up a ton, but they were delicious!
posted by ldthomps at 6:46 PM on January 3, 2016

make some rice (with whatever diced vegetables you like mixed in,) finely cube the meat, and make "fried rice" with it. if you have some parsley and/or green onions, add them too. Put a fried or poached egg, yolk still runny, on top.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:17 PM on January 3, 2016

Cut it into slices, marinate it with shawarma seasoning (recipe here, but cumin, coriander and garlic are main notes) and lemon juice, then roast it or fry it intil the edges are crispy. Eat it in a pita with salad and hoummous. So, so, so very good.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:18 PM on January 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

I would get little ziplock bags and freeze individual dinner portions to just throw on top of rice or veggies when you don't have/want-to cook a full dinner. Don't know your home situation but leftovers like this are lifesavers when only the kid is eating that day, or when I go out for dinner and my husband stays home and I can just leave stuff next to the microwave "for later".
posted by CrazyLemonade at 8:35 PM on January 3, 2016

Paprikash
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:06 PM on January 3, 2016

I once used Molly Stevens' recipe for fresh Pappardelle with Leftover Lamb and Olives, and it was excellent.
posted by sapere aude at 9:10 PM on January 3, 2016

Yes to shawarma, make or buy some tzatziki sauce, wrap it in pita or naan or tortillas, with thin-sliced onion and cucumber, tomato slivers, and some feta. Rice with lemon and sumac on the side.

You can also chop and serve (or chop and freeze in portions, as suggested above) for putting over baked potatoes or pasta.

If all else fails, barbecue sauce.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:40 PM on January 3, 2016

Moussaka.
posted by benzenedream at 11:32 PM on January 3, 2016

My mother would make a casserole. Fry some chopped bacon and onions, add lamb gravy and some tomato paste, mix, and add diced lamb. Heat and serve.
posted by islandeady at 1:28 AM on January 4, 2016

Pie! Definitely pie. I'd go with red wine, mushrooms, herbes de provence. Leftover lamb tends to get kind of gamy when reheated, so something well spiced for sure.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 1:35 AM on January 4, 2016

Chop it up, cook a batch of potatoes and carrots, chop those up, then make fried wontons. We've done this before with leftover pot roast, and it's the best wonton filling ever. Hoisin sauce for dipping.
posted by jbickers at 4:22 AM on January 4, 2016

I've saved your question because the answers are so delicious!
In Scandinavia, we make a dish called pyt-i-panna or biksemad. Basically, you make equally sized dices of lamb, potato and onion. The potato can be raw or lightly boiled.
Now you have to gently sauté or fry the three elements separately, first the onions, then the potatoes and lastly the lamb. I use butter for the onions and potatoes and oil for the meat-cubes because I want a higher temperature and some browning. Some like the onions to be brown as well, I don't. During the holidays, I had duck-fat, and used that for the potatoes.
At last you gather the elements and season generously with salt, pepper and Worcester Sauce.

It is traditionally served with an egg, sunny side up, pickled beats, more Worcester Sauce and ketchup. And is one of my favorite dishes.
posted by mumimor at 2:49 PM on January 4, 2016