Cooking for two who like doness on opposite sides of the spectrum?
April 1, 2017 4:33 PM Subscribe
My fiancee likes very well done meat, I like mine still mooing - how to cook a lamb roast?
My fiancee likes very well done meat, I usually buy the cheapest cuts and just cook the crap out of it. To put it in perspective, I usually cook a flat iron or eye round steak for 20 minutes on the grill with medium heat for her; no complaints yet except that sometimes that it can be done more. I like my meat extra rare, usually order blue or very rare at steak houses.
I want to cook a leg of lamb roast and from my googling, it says that the roast should be done rare, medium at most. How do I cook this thing where I would normally just sear it and roast it for the absolute minimum time but she won't eat it?
I thought about maybe cutting the roast in thirds, and putting hers in a crockpot with some liquid but it seems wasteful for such a wonderful cut. Any ideas on what to do with this?
My fiancee likes very well done meat, I usually buy the cheapest cuts and just cook the crap out of it. To put it in perspective, I usually cook a flat iron or eye round steak for 20 minutes on the grill with medium heat for her; no complaints yet except that sometimes that it can be done more. I like my meat extra rare, usually order blue or very rare at steak houses.
I want to cook a leg of lamb roast and from my googling, it says that the roast should be done rare, medium at most. How do I cook this thing where I would normally just sear it and roast it for the absolute minimum time but she won't eat it?
I thought about maybe cutting the roast in thirds, and putting hers in a crockpot with some liquid but it seems wasteful for such a wonderful cut. Any ideas on what to do with this?
Cook it to medium, cut off her pieces and sear them to well ina frying pan/cast iron before serving.
posted by bitdamaged at 4:41 PM on April 1, 2017 [19 favorites]
posted by bitdamaged at 4:41 PM on April 1, 2017 [19 favorites]
If you have a pressure cooker, finishing her portion of it in that may yield better results than finishing it in a pan or continuing to roast it and keep it fairly close to ready to serve with yours. Failing that, I'd go with your slow cooker idea.
posted by Candleman at 4:47 PM on April 1, 2017
posted by Candleman at 4:47 PM on April 1, 2017
You know, the more I think about it the more I think your idea is actually better. Cheap or tough meat is going to be much better slow-cooked in liquid than roasted to "well done." Cut roast in half. Slow cook hers in liquid, preferably the night before so you can chill it for a few hours and get the fat off the top before you go to cook yours. Then roast yours as you like. Hers can heat up on stove while yours rests.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:57 PM on April 1, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:57 PM on April 1, 2017
@bitdamaged has the right idea. Cook the meat however you like it, cut off a portion for her, and cook it to her temperature.
FWIW, sous vide cooking makes this easy to have both portions finished at the same time. Bag each portion separately and start hers at her desired temperature. Let's say 160. Let is sit there for an hour so it's definitely well done, then lower the temperature of the bath to 135. You can drop a few ice cubes in to help it along. When it hits 135, drop your bag in alongside hers, and let it cook as long as you like. Then you can pull both bags out, sear them together, and you have two cuts cooked to different temperatures ready at the exact same moment.
posted by AaRdVarK at 5:06 PM on April 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
FWIW, sous vide cooking makes this easy to have both portions finished at the same time. Bag each portion separately and start hers at her desired temperature. Let's say 160. Let is sit there for an hour so it's definitely well done, then lower the temperature of the bath to 135. You can drop a few ice cubes in to help it along. When it hits 135, drop your bag in alongside hers, and let it cook as long as you like. Then you can pull both bags out, sear them together, and you have two cuts cooked to different temperatures ready at the exact same moment.
posted by AaRdVarK at 5:06 PM on April 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have a recipe I like to do with lamb shoulder, and one time when I couldn't find shoulder, I used a leg of lamb. Although I'm more like you in my preferences, I enjoy this particular recipe too, and it will definitely suit your partner.
You take a heavy bottomed pot with a lid (a le Creuset casserole dish is perfect, but if you don't have something like that, or if your leg is too large for it, you can use any heavy pot and cover it with tinfoil). Oil the bottom, then put in a layer of cut up lemons. Then some potatoes cut into quarters. Then the lamb on top, some sprigs of rosemary and cloves of garlic, and put the lid on. You DON'T add liquid - the lamb fat will render and it cooks in its own juices. With a leg instead of a shoulder, you'll get less fat, so you might want to add a tiny bit of oil or lard.
Put it in the oven on a super low temperature (like 120 C). Then cook it for about six hours. You can do a version in four hours if you turn the oven a bit higher (150 or so). The meat will be very done, but it kind of falls off the bone, so it's still tender enough for me.
This is one of my favourite dishes when done with the shoulder. With the leg, it's not amazing, but still really good.
posted by lollusc at 5:54 PM on April 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
You take a heavy bottomed pot with a lid (a le Creuset casserole dish is perfect, but if you don't have something like that, or if your leg is too large for it, you can use any heavy pot and cover it with tinfoil). Oil the bottom, then put in a layer of cut up lemons. Then some potatoes cut into quarters. Then the lamb on top, some sprigs of rosemary and cloves of garlic, and put the lid on. You DON'T add liquid - the lamb fat will render and it cooks in its own juices. With a leg instead of a shoulder, you'll get less fat, so you might want to add a tiny bit of oil or lard.
Put it in the oven on a super low temperature (like 120 C). Then cook it for about six hours. You can do a version in four hours if you turn the oven a bit higher (150 or so). The meat will be very done, but it kind of falls off the bone, so it's still tender enough for me.
This is one of my favourite dishes when done with the shoulder. With the leg, it's not amazing, but still really good.
posted by lollusc at 5:54 PM on April 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Is it too late to weigh in here?
First of all, with a leg of lamb, you will have parts that are more well done because the leg has different thicknesses. Maybe that alone will solve your problem.
I have a recipe similar in principle to lollusc's but designed for the leg. It's cooked through, but still delicious.
You need the leg, salt, pepper, garlic to taste and a lot of fresh herbs. I prefer a mix of mostly thyme, parsley and oregano with a little rosemary in there. You also need a lot of aluminum foil.
First, turn up the broiler. Rub the meat well with a generous amount of salt and pepper and a little butter. Roast it, turning the leg once, till it is nice and brown all over.
Meanwhile put out enough foil to completely wrap the leg of lamb. On this, put half the herbs to make a thick bed, and disperse crushed garlic among the herbs. When the lamb is brown and nice, take it out and put it on the herb-bed. Make a few incisions and put garlic cloves into the meat. Cover with more crushed garlic and the rest of the herbs, and wrap up the whole thing very well to avoid any fluids or steam getting out. Put it in a tin and cook in the oven at a low heat. How low and how long depends on your patience. The best result is with very low heat like 100 - 120 C for 6 hours. But you can speed up the process by cooking it for 4 hours at 150-160 C (my oven is very unreliable, thus the vague temperatures). The name of the recipe is "Twice Forgotten Lamb" because you can forget the lamb both under the broiler and in the oven and still get excellent results. Ask me how I know..
Take care when you open your foil package - there will be delicious juices that you can use as they are or incorporate in a sauce.
It is inspired by Lamb Kleftiko, but adapted because I like the spectacle of the whole leg.
posted by mumimor at 2:02 AM on April 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
First of all, with a leg of lamb, you will have parts that are more well done because the leg has different thicknesses. Maybe that alone will solve your problem.
I have a recipe similar in principle to lollusc's but designed for the leg. It's cooked through, but still delicious.
You need the leg, salt, pepper, garlic to taste and a lot of fresh herbs. I prefer a mix of mostly thyme, parsley and oregano with a little rosemary in there. You also need a lot of aluminum foil.
First, turn up the broiler. Rub the meat well with a generous amount of salt and pepper and a little butter. Roast it, turning the leg once, till it is nice and brown all over.
Meanwhile put out enough foil to completely wrap the leg of lamb. On this, put half the herbs to make a thick bed, and disperse crushed garlic among the herbs. When the lamb is brown and nice, take it out and put it on the herb-bed. Make a few incisions and put garlic cloves into the meat. Cover with more crushed garlic and the rest of the herbs, and wrap up the whole thing very well to avoid any fluids or steam getting out. Put it in a tin and cook in the oven at a low heat. How low and how long depends on your patience. The best result is with very low heat like 100 - 120 C for 6 hours. But you can speed up the process by cooking it for 4 hours at 150-160 C (my oven is very unreliable, thus the vague temperatures). The name of the recipe is "Twice Forgotten Lamb" because you can forget the lamb both under the broiler and in the oven and still get excellent results. Ask me how I know..
Take care when you open your foil package - there will be delicious juices that you can use as they are or incorporate in a sauce.
It is inspired by Lamb Kleftiko, but adapted because I like the spectacle of the whole leg.
posted by mumimor at 2:02 AM on April 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
(Come to think of it - one could probably do the reverse-sear thing with this recipe - slow cook it in a foil package first and then give it a quick sear before serving. I think I'll try this next time)
posted by mumimor at 3:24 AM on April 2, 2017
posted by mumimor at 3:24 AM on April 2, 2017
Whatever you do, you need to quit with the attitude that cooking her meat the way she likes it "seems wasteful for such a wonderful cut." And if you are buying cheap cuts of meat only for her because it's going to be cooked for 20 minutes anyway, while you buy better cuts of meat for you, you need to quit that too. Just because people like their meat cooked a different way than you do doesn't mean they like tough meat that is scorched on the outside.
/rant
I went to a party last night where the host cooked a boneless lamb roast on the grill. They took it off when it was rare and cut it in half, then cut the remainder into slices and put them back on the grill like steaks to continue cooking. Half the guests at the party like rare and the other half like well-done meat, so it was not a big deal and there wasn't any insult implied just because people like different things. Everyone enjoyed the meat and it was tender and delicious with the marinade and seasonings, regardless what color it was.
posted by CathyG at 9:09 AM on April 2, 2017
/rant
I went to a party last night where the host cooked a boneless lamb roast on the grill. They took it off when it was rare and cut it in half, then cut the remainder into slices and put them back on the grill like steaks to continue cooking. Half the guests at the party like rare and the other half like well-done meat, so it was not a big deal and there wasn't any insult implied just because people like different things. Everyone enjoyed the meat and it was tender and delicious with the marinade and seasonings, regardless what color it was.
posted by CathyG at 9:09 AM on April 2, 2017
We do a perfect roast, cut slices and put the slices back in a hot oven for another ten minutes for my mam.
posted by Iteki at 6:32 PM on April 2, 2017
posted by Iteki at 6:32 PM on April 2, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:38 PM on April 1, 2017 [5 favorites]