Benefits of Grass Finished Beef and Lamb

 Have you ever had lamb? This is the first leg of lamb I ever cooked. It was absolutely delicious. The most tender meat I have ever had and there is not one thing I would have changed about the flavor. It is now my families favorite meat!

To cook the leg of lamb heat your oven up to 500 degrees. While it is heating up cut slits on the bottom and top of you lamb, About 1 to 1.5 inches apart and the same length, then rub with olive oil and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Slice 10-15 garlic cloves into 2-3 chunks each and set aside. Roughly chop about 5 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and sage and place with the garlic. Starting with the bottom side, stuff the slits with the garlic, rosemary and sage then sprinkle the surface with oregano and thyme. Now repeat on the other side. You can also use roughly chopped onions. We did that the second time we cooked a leg of lamb and I found my self eating all the onions that were left on the bottom of the pan. So yummy.

Now let your lamb cook for 15-20 minutes at 500 degrees. I usually lean more towards 20 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 325 degrees. Set the timer so you don't forget this.
It will take a couple of hours to cook depending on the size of your leg. That sound funny doesn't it? It is done when the temperature taken in the middle of the largest part of the meat, usually next to the bone, has reached 170 degrees. Juices should run clear.  If you want to make gravy, it makes wonderful gravy, with the drippings you might want to consider adding a little bit of water to the bottom of the pan durring cooking. I have cooked it on the roasting pan shown and also in a caserole dish. I prefer the roasting pan but the caserol dish works as well.

 To be completely honest with you, I've only had lamb about two times before eating our lamb. It never really left a great impression, not bad, not great. Now I question how that lamb was cooked because we have eaten two of our lambs( as in two whole lambs) since these pictures were taken earlier this fall (I told you they were our favorite now) and it has always been amazing. Tender and flavorful every time. Even when I had to increase the cooking temp on a certain occasion because I didn't get it in the oven as soon as needed. Oops! It was still perfectly tender and delicious! That makes it my favorite thing to prepare too. So easy!

Perhaps it is the breed we have chosen. Jacob sheep are said to have a more mild flavor and tender meat. I believe it. Maybe it is how they are raised and fed........

Ruminants are very unique animals. They can take grasses and convert them into proteins. No other animals are designed in this way which is precisely why we finish our lamb and beef on grass rather than grain like many others. It is what they are designed to do. Not only does this greatly reduce the risk of GMO contamination, it also makes for a very lean, healthier meat.

Grass fed and finished is far healthier than traditional grain-fed. It has up to a third of the fat content which also means that is lower in calories. It has all the good fat- Omega 3 fatty acids (LNA, DHA, and EPA), two to six times more than grain fed. As soon as cattle leave the pasture and head to a feed lot they start losing all three omega 3 fatty acids. The longer they are on grain the more they loose. Milk and meat from grass fed ruminants contain the highest known source of CLA or conjugated linoleic acid. Omega 3 fatty acids and CLA can reduce your risk of cancer as shown in studies from Utah State University and also studies in Finland and Switzerland. Grass fed and finished is the healthiest choice.

We, as of December 2016, have grass finished lamb and beef available. If you are interested in either than give us a call or send us an email. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Do you eat lamb? What is your favorite way to prepare it? Please share!

Happy, healthy, clean eating!

Jaci

Eat me.