Get to know your lamb cuts
Here’s a handy guide to give you the low-down on three delicious lamb cuts perfect for autumn cooking
Chump chops
Butchery: Chump chops are prepared from a boneless leg behind the loin by following its natural seams and then trimmed accordingly. They’re the equivalent to a beef rump steak, but are left on the bone, and are bigger than cutlets or loin chops.
Cooking: Pan fry or barbecue these tender cuts on a high temperature for a few minutes either side (depending on thickness) and rest for 5 minutes before serving. They should sizzle when they hit the heat. Meaty and juicy enough to satisfy bigger appetites, chump chops are also easy to cut up for small fingers to handle by themselves. Crumb and serve with a salad or pan-fry them with your favourite Asian flavours and serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables, there are so many easy ways to create delicious dishes with this versatile cut.
Mini roast
Butchery: The lamb mini roast comes from the leg chump muscle in the hindquarter and provides all the benefits of a larger leg roast but in a more compact size. Cooking: As they are lean, mini roasts suit high heat roasting and are best cooked to no more than medium, so they remain moist and tender – for rare cook for 15 to 20 minutes per 500g in a 180C oven. This cut can be flavoured with herb or spice rubs, and are the perfect roast for a tasty crumb topping or crust.
Don’t forget to rest for 10–15 minutes for a juicy roast.
Butterflied shoulder
Butchery: The butterflied shoulder is simply a boned shoulder of lamb, opened out flat into the vague shape of a butterfly. This is something you can try yourself, but if in doubt, your butcher can easily do it for you or you can buy it pre-prepared from the supermarket.
Cooking: A butterflied shoulder is extremely versatile – it suits medium heat on a barbecue or it can also be popped in the oven at 160C for 2 to 3 hours for a pull-apart result.
For more information, visit www.beefandlamb.com.au.
Korean-style mini lamb roasts with green pear salad
SERVES :4 Ingredients 2 lamb mini roasts (approx. 250g each) 4 cm piece ginger, finely grated
¼ cup roughly chopped coriander
2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted 2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs salt reduced tamari or soy sauce
2 tbs mirin
1 small green pear, coarsely grated Chargrilled pumpkin, to serve
Green pear salad:
3 baby red radishes, thinly sliced
1 green pear, thinly sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup shredded wombok ½ cup mint ½ cup coriander leaves 75 g (1⁄2 cup) roasted cashews, roughly chopped 2 limes, halved, plus extra wedges to serve Extra sesame oil, to serve
Method Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan-forced). Place ginger, coriander root, sesame seeds, sesame oil, tamari, mirin and pear in a small food processor; process until chopped and combined. Coat the lamb mini roasts with the Bulgogi marinade; season to taste. Place on a wire rack over an oven tray; roast for 25 to 30 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Alternatively, if time permits, coat lamb and marinate for 3–4 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, place radishes, pear, onion, wombok, herbs and cashews in a large bowl, squeeze over lime juice and drizzle with extra sesame oil; season to taste and toss to combine. Remove lamb mini roasts from oven, cover loosely with foil and stand for 10 minutes before carving, to serve.
Divide salad among plates and top with sliced lamb. Serve with extra lime wedges and roasted sweet potato.