Lamb is a flavorful, versatile protein that’s a worthy centerpiece for special meals or holidays. In our guide below, learn all about preparing the perfect lamb and serving it right.

If you’re looking for a tasty alternative to beef and pork, try preparing lamb at home. It’s easy to prepare and adapts well to any style of cooking. Whether you’re making an Argentine style BBQ or a classic roast, lamb will be the perfect protein.

Lamb is an ancient meat and one of the world’s most popular. The first records of people eating and preparing it date back to over 10,000 years ago in Central Asia. Today, it’s the fourth most consumed meat in the world, followed by beef.

Keep reading below to learn more about this wonderful cut and how to prepare it. Visit your local butcher and try out your favorite lamb recipe at home.

Best Cuts of Lamb

There are many cuts of lamb to choose from, but nothing beats a perfectly prepared leg of lamb. This classic cut has a layer of fat around the lean meat. When it cooks, the fat melts and caramelizes, sealing in the juices and flavor.

Leg of lamb works in almost any style of dish. It absorbs flavor and seals it in as it cooks. It stands up to the most delicate seasoning or intense spice mixes. Pair it with the finest red wine and enjoy this fantastic cut.

How to Prepare the Perfect Lamb

Lamb is incredibly versatile. When using a leg of lamb, there are three popular preparation methods to know: roasted, butterflied, and grilled. Each one has a special outcome and suits different styles of cooking.

Roasted

Roasted lamb will steal the attention away from any other meat. It relies on seasoning and slow cooking in the oven. You can cook it with herbs, vegetables, and your favorite seasoning, such as our Crop Dust All Purpose Seasoning.

As the meat cooks, the heat causes a reaction called the Maillard Reaction with the proteins, fats, and sugars. This creates a beautiful browning on the meat and seals in the moisture and flavor. When you cut into it, flavorful juice pours out of the meat.

Butterflied

Butterflied lamb is a boneless leg of lamb that’s been flattened and opened up. When you butterfly your leg of lamb, you decrease the area between the center and the heat source. This cuts cooking times and cooks the meat evenly.

This technique also increases the surface area to season. By spreading the leg of lamb out and flattening it, you’ll get more seasoning on the meat. Each bite will be perfectly cooked, juicy, and seasoned to perfection.

Grilled

Grilled lamb also takes advantage of the Maillard Reaction to create a brown crust and juicy interior. The technique uses medium-high heat to create a perfect sear and an evenly cooked thermal center.

If you’re grilling lamb, try marinating it beforehand to lock in the flavors. The seasonings will infuse in the meat and melt with the fat once you put it on the heat.

You can use an electric, gas, or wood-fired grill. Cooking with wood creates a smoky flavor that the leg of lamb absorbs.

Bone-in vs. Boneless

When you buy your leg of lamb, you can choose between bone-in or boneless. Each one has its own benefits. Depending on your recipe, ask your local butcher which one they recommend.

Bone-in Preparation Tips

Bone-in leg of lamb comes as sirloin or shank end cuts. Sirloins are cut from the hip to the knee. Shank ends are cut from the calf to the ankle.

Bone-in cuts cook a little slower and work best for grilling. The bone insulates the inside of the meat and helps the cut keep its shape.

Season bone-in cuts well with dry seasoning or marinate. Give them more time to cook over medium heat.

Boneless Preparation Tips

Boneless leg of lamb cuts usually come wrapped in a net to preserve their shape. These cuts are lighter in weight and give you more control over their preparation.

Try cooking boneless lamb in a roast or butterflied. Without a bone in the meat, you have more control over the cut and the carving at the end.

Best Sauces for Lamb

Once you have your perfectly cooked lamb, it’s time to elevate it with the perfect sauce. At the Flying Butcher, we have all the sauces you need for your lamb. Below are a few popular sauces to choose from.

Red Wine Demi-Glaze

Red wine demi-glaze is a rich and elegant sauce. It’s perfect for roasted lamb and best paired with red wine like Spanish Rioja or a French Bordeaux.

Bourbon Soy Glaze

Bourbon soy glaze is a bold, savory-sweet sauce. Pair it with grilled lamb to add balanced acidity and salt to the smoky flavor.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a classic South American sauce. It uses a blend of herbs, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar to create a bright and herbaceous flavor. It works for all preparation styles but is especially delicious with lamb grilled over smoke.

Season Before Cooking

Lamb holds up to a variety of seasoning. It shines with garlic, rosemary, and citrus or simple salt and pepper seasoning. Try coating your lamb in chimichurri before grilling. Or rub a butterflied cut with Herbes de Provance, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt.

You can also take the flavors around the world. Spice mixes such as Chinese five-spice, Ras el Hanout, and Indian spice rubs elevate the flavor even further. Serve these styles with white rice and watch the flavors soak in.

At the Flying Butcher, we have several homemade rubs to choose from. Ask our meat experts for their advice and they’ll find the perfect seasoning for your meal.

How to Carve and Serve

Carving is an important part of preparing and serving your lamb. It ensures each portion is perfectly balanced and effortless to serve. Before you begin, let your meat rest for 15 to 30 minutes to let the juices settle.

For roasts, place the meat on its side. If it’s bone-in, make sure the shank bone is away from you. Cut lengthwise through the thickest portion of meat parallel to the bone. Slice across the grain of the meat and along the bone’s contour. Once you cut the meat to the bone, flip it on its side with the cut side facing down and repeat for each side.

Once you’re done carving, finish removing all the meat from the bone. The meat along the bone will be perfect for sandwiches. Once you remove the meat, save the bone for making stews and bone broth.

Always use a sharp knife to do the job right. Serve your lamb with your favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes, white rice, and roasted vegetables.

Final Thoughts

Put away the store-bought mint jelly and have fun with new lamb recipes. Come visit us at The Flying Butcher and order your perfectly prepared leg of lamb. Ask our team of meat experts about their favorite sauce pairings and seasonings.