15lb milk fed lamb delivered

[OliverB]

I just got delivery of a 15+lb milk fed surprise lamb (they don't know which ram developed early and had some fun with the girls). It's in one piece, skinned and cleaned, head removed.

Now, best would be a spit and firepit solution, which I don't have, nor do I know enough people people that like lamb - and even less that would want to carve into a baby one.

I have some rudimentary butchery knowledge from some classes and books.

I'm thinking to partition it into hind legs (leave them together) center with all ribs in one piece since there's probably not much meat on there, and separate the front legs. Thinking to do the legs roasted or on the bbq, see if I can make a nice rib roast out of the middle and also roast or bbq the hind legs as one large piece (or two?) for more people.

Given that it's Sunday I probably won't get much in response here, but I'd appreciate input and ideas anyway, cuz if we like this lamb we'll probably order an other one when it actually is spring (on the calendar, as we're practically having early summer here in the Bay Area).

Since this is a very young animal, I'm guessing I don't need to cook and braise the hell out of it? Maybe even SV the legs, then a quick trip to the very hot bbq or cast iron pan? What would you do?

[OliverB]

well, I cut it down as far as I could. My handsaw and no helping hands made cutting the backbone pretty impossible, so I left the rib cage in two large sections, either cut it later or just cook it as that, rustic chunks :-)

Got the two hindlegs off and cleaned nicely, left the shoulder on the front legs, had to get the stuff cool again eventually.

I think I'll make one of the legs this week, either roast or sous vide and then brown (or brown, SV, sear/broil again? and the rest goes in the freezer. Fun to butcher something again, but my back sure isn't used to the work (plus the added work of moving furniture and boxes around today).

[patrickamory]

Jealous!

[Obese-Wan Kenobi]

If you have a brick oven, roast it in there slowly, Spain style. Salt, pepper, olive oil and that's it.

Enjoy it!

[budrichard]

For future reference, Pepin's 'The Art Of Cooking' contains a step by step guide with color photos of how to take apart a baby lamb and how to prepare the various cuts.

My preference though is to have a party and roast whole on a spit!

Wish I had a source here in Wisconsin!-Dick

[lochaven]

If only I was so lucky. Hoping you took a before picture.

[OliverB]

just getting back to this, we're refinishing the hardwood floors this week and half of the house (including kitchen) is not accessible most of the day....

I cut it down into some nice pieces and had to freeze it. I have a Big Green Egg, which is somewhat a brick oven, I think I'll roast one of the legs in there next week, low and slow.

I took some pictures of before and during cutting, not after I think (but it's just pieces of meat in vac-bags) and I will add some of finished things, maybe it'll jolt me into actually posting something on my blog again...... I'll let you know!

It's pretty amazing to see how big that hind leg on such a small and young animal already is, these are only weeks old.

And I'll get a real butcher bone saw before I try this again, my hack saw had it's problems....

[Mr Holloway]

When I started reading the thread, I was drooling, thinking about how good that little lamb would be on the Egg.

I forgot you had one too

Would love to see some pics

That will be some great eats

Shane