Techniques for Lamb Ribs and Breast

[scubadoo97]

So while cruising through the local Walmart grocery store I saw several vac packs of lamb ribs. I picked up one and cooked it in the oven with a nice. marinade but the fat which there is a lot of was not rendered out even though the meat was very tender

Seeing that they had sold out within a hour of my purchase I vowed to try them again if they ever showed up again. Well a month or so later there were more in the meat case. This last attempt was done on the smoker. Done like I would pork ribs. Prior to cooking I trimmed out as much fat as I could without tearing them up.

I used a dry rub and 6 hrs at 225 produced a nice looking product with crispy bark but still a lot of fat was present in the final dish which made it a very greasy feast.

The meat was very tasty and the left overs were cleaned of fat and were excellent.

So my question is, how to best prep and cook lamb ribs so the end product is not so fatty? Any suggestions that I haven't tried? Or I'm thinking maybe that's just the way they are.

Thanks for any advise

[daveb]

I don't think I've ever seen this cut - I'm sure I've not cooked it.  (Of course that may have to change now.)

 

My question is how did you manage to have leftovers? 

[weinoo]

Danny Bowien serves lamb ribs at his Mission Chinese Food in NYC.  They are very fatty - it's the nature of the beast.

[scubadoo97]

Daveb keep an eye out at your local Walmart neighborhood grocery store. I was buying paper towels when I walked past the meat counter and found these

Thanks Mitch. Was hoping for some eG wisdom on how to do these better but feared you were right, they are just inherently super fatty

[ArowanaGrande]

Doesn't fat add up to the flavor of the meat? 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Hate me if you will, but I like my lamb ribs grilled till crisp.

 

 

Edit:  unlike pork or beef ribs.

Edited March 11, 2015 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[annachan]

When I am able to get racks of lamb ribs, I usually steam them first. I then put on a dry rub and broil them till crispy. I cooked them till they look quite dark. But because of the fat, the ribs won't dry out.

[chris_s]

is this a different cut than a "rack of lamb"? I do the aforementioned on the bbq in a provencal herb/wine rub, with heavy amounts of kosher salt added. The fatiness is the best part! 

[weinoo]

is this a different cut than a "rack of lamb"? I do the aforementioned on the bbq in a provencal herb/wine rub, with heavy amounts of kosher salt added. The fatiness is the best part! 

Yes.

 

The lamb ribs are from the belly and the rack is from the loin.

[rlibkind]

Lamb fat is the reason I love breast of lamb, i.e. Lamb ribs. Before putting on the grill (usually with a cumin-heavy rub or cumin-marmalade glaze) I simmer for 15 minutes or so. This cooks the meat (so you don't have to burn them on the grill) and also renders just a little of the fat. But I find lamb fat tastiest of lipids. Once in Jerusalem I had a shish kebab whose translation into English on the menu board was simply "lamb fat".

Edited March 11, 2015 by rlibkind (log)

[Fernet-Bronco]

Man, I am so in for doing these under the broiler. This looks delicious. Wish I had a smoker and grill... damnable apartment living.

[weinoo]

Man, I am so in for doing these under the broiler. This looks delicious. Wish I had a smoker and grill... damnable apartment living.

 

I sure hope you have a good fan, or at least some ventilation.

[scubadoo97]

I sure hope you have a good fan, or at least some ventilation.

And a self cleaning oven

[Ranz]

I love everything about fat, but when I made these (twice) the amount of fat that rendered out was ridiculous. It was a tiny bit of greasy meat that wasn't worth the price in the  end.

[scubadoo97]

Ranz, this was my take as well but not ready to give up yet

[DTBarton]

It looks like a lot of the fat is an exterior fat pad that could be trimmed off prior to cooking.  Ribs usually have plenty of marbling in the meat so shouldn't make them dry.

[rlibkind]

I love everything about fat, but when I made these (twice) the amount of fat that rendered out was ridiculous. It was a tiny bit of greasy meat that wasn't worth the price in the end.

Everything depends on quality oft he meat. Most supermarket versions produce what you describe.

I'm fortunate to have access, via a vendor at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, to product from Virginia's Border Springs Lamb Farm. These lamb breasts (they call them "Denver Ribs" when separated) are extraordinarily meaty, tho still with plenty of delicious fat. If you've got any farmers markets or good butchers in your area, see if they can get something similar.

[Ttogull]

Everything depends on quality oft he meat. Most supermarket versions produce what you describe.

I'm fortunate to have access, via a vendor at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, to product from Virginia's Border Springs Lamb Farm. These lamb breasts (they call them "Denver Ribs" when separated) are extraordinarily meaty, tho still with plenty of delicious fat. If you've got any farmers markets or good butchers in your area, see if they can get something similar.

I used to get Border Springs lamb products directly from them at local farmers markets. I second the quality of their lamb breasts. Funny, iirc, that's what I remember that they called them. Maybe they got fancy.

When Border Springs got popular (they started showing up in restaurants and, well, places like Reading Terminal, they stopped going to farmers markets. Now they are difficult to find (I live in MD) or inconvenient. I found instead a great Halal butcher. Great lamb. He will cut or trim it any way I like (or he recommends) without charge.

One time I got some lamb rib chops from the Halal guy, but realized I did not have enough. I got more at the supermarket. Cooked them together. The difference was astounding. One had no taste. The other had the fantastic taste only lamb and goat have. Guess which?

[Anna N]

I used to get Border Springs lamb products directly from them at local farmers markets. I second the quality of their lamb breasts. Funny, iirc, that's what I remember that they called them. Maybe they got fancy.

When Border Springs got popular (they started showing up in restaurants and, well, places like Reading Terminal, they stopped going to farmers markets. Now they are difficult to find (I live in MD) or inconvenient. I found instead a great Halal butcher. Great lamb. He will cut or trim it any way I like (or he recommends) without charge.

One time I got some lamb rib chops from the Halal guy, but realized I did not have enough. I got more at the supermarket. Cooked them together. The difference was astounding. One had no taste. The other had the fantastic taste only lamb and goat have. Guess which?

If you Google breast of lamb you will come up with mostly UK sites. I grew up eating breast of lamb and never once heard it called lamb ribs. I have no recollection of it being especially fatty.

[Baron d'Apcher]

Consider stuffing the breasts, like one would with veal.

 

Stuffed lamb breast. Lamb liver, heart & tongue, pork fatback, olives and pistachios.

Gently seared and slowly roasted covered, then dutifully basted and glazed uncovered.

 

[SLB]

I see it, or a nearby cut called "lamb breast riblets".  it's quite fatty and, quite frankly, affordable.  Cheap red meat is hard to come by . . . I cook it low and slow and in a state where it can continuously drain. Acidic sauce of Mexican allusion is good.  

Edited March 13, 2015 by SLB (log)

[jmacnaughtan]

Consider stuffing the breasts, like one would with veal.

 

Stuffed lamb breast. Lamb liver, heart & tongue, pork fatback, olives and pistachios.

Gently seared and slowly roasted covered, then dutifully basted and glazed uncovered.

 

 

Those look good.  How do you prepare the breast for stuffing?  Do you butterfly it out then tie it back up?

[Baron d'Apcher]

Those look good.  How do you prepare the breast for stuffing?  Do you butterfly it out then tie it back up?

 

With a long knife, make an incision on both ends without cutting through the sides.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to open it up a bit and then stuff the breast using a pastry bag or sausage press.

[mm84321]

Consider stuffing the breasts, like one would with veal.

 

Stuffed lamb breast. Lamb liver, heart & tongue, pork fatback, olives and pistachios.

Gently seared and slowly roasted covered, then dutifully basted and glazed uncovered.

 

 

Practical solution. 

[jmacnaughtan]

With a long knife, make an incision on both ends without cutting through the sides.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to open it up a bit and then stuff the breast using a pastry bag or sausage press.

 

Thanks.  I'll have to try that the next time I get hold of some ribs.