Topic: Am I expecting too much?

[Secret Santa]

I was ambling around Aldi and spotted some very cheap lamb's legs (?3.75/kg). I cut the leg in half and put it in a pot to precook and after about half an hour removed the halves to debone and chunk it. Having done that I nibbled on some scraps and the flavour was detectibly lamby but also very subtle.

So I was wondering, am I just getting what I paid for, which appears to be very little lamb flavour, or is this the way all lamb is going? Maybe I should be buying mutton to get the real lamb flavour or just stop being a cheapskate with the lamb?

Any thoughts?

[Garp]

To be honest, SS, I prefer my lamb not to be over 'lamby' in a curry - subtle is good in my book.

Funnily enough, I was in Tesco on Saturday and they had half-price leg of lamb for a tenner (don't know what it was /kg). Interesting to hear that you cook (or par-cook) a half leg before 'chunking' it.........I've always 'chunked' it first. Is it easier that way?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Mutton or goat for me; lamb is far too subtle for a curry.;
** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

To be honest, SS, I prefer my lamb not to be over 'lamby' in a curry - subtle is good in my book.

Funnily enough, I was in Tesco on Saturday and they had half-price leg of lamb for a tenner (don't know what it was /kg). Interesting to hear that you cook (or par-cook) a half leg before 'chunking' it.........I've always 'chunked' it first. Is it easier that way?

That's the way I normally do it Garp and is my method of preference but I was just feeling too lazy to chunk it first as I'm a very poor butcher. It takes me ages.

Par-cooking gets it to where it's easily removed from the bone and any gristle, fat and sinew can be easily seen and removed, unlike in the raw state. The cooked down liquor was really good though because I split the bones. In fact it's that intense lamb flavour that I get in the restaurants (in the sauce) but I'm convinced they use bought in stock. I've never found any stock cubes that have that intensity of flavour though.

Interesting that you don't like the intense flavour of lamb as I thought that's sort of the point of using it. Otherwise you might as well stick to chicken.

I think, as Phil says, I need to source some mutton as I've never tried it.

[tempest63]

In fact it's that intense lamb flavour that I get in the restaurants (in the sauce) but I'm convinced they use bought in stock. I've never found any stock cubes that have that intensity of flavour though.

We keep all our bones, cooked or otherwise, and when we have enough they go in the slow cooker to make bone broth which we use in place of stock or water in almost everything.

It is supposed to be very healthy, so much so that a number of selected Prets in the City of London are selling it by the (very small) cup!

T63

[Peripatetic Phil]

It is supposed to be very healthy, so much so that a number of selected Prets in the City of London are selling it by the (very small) cup!

Presumably purchased and consumed by a similar number of selected prats ...
** Phil.

[tempest63]

Maybe tha cappuccino is old hat now?