Lamb is considered to be dietary meat. The cholesterol level here is quite low, and the fat is one and a half times less than in pork. Rich in vitamins and minerals, lamb is a very healthy meat product. In this article, our attention will be focused on recipes for preparing lamb neck, since it is best to take this part of the animal for cooking. Properly cooked lamb meat on the bone is perfect for both a holiday table and a family dinner, being not only healthy, but also a very tasty dish.
How to choose?
When buying lamb neck at the market, there are several points to consider.
- The lamb neck should not be cooked whole; when purchasing meat, it is best to ask the butcher to cut it into medallions. Otherwise, the meat may take hours to cook.
- Choose a product from a young animal. Meat from an older lamb often has an unpleasant odor.
- Do not buy lamb with an abundance of yellow fat, as well as those that have a dark color and a suspicious aroma.
Recipes
There are several delicious lamb neck recipes that you can try at home. Let's look at some of them.
Baked marinated lamb neck
To prepare the dish you will need the following ingredients:
- a kilogram of lamb (in our case this is about 5 pieces of neck);
- 40 grams of olive oil;
- 10 cloves of garlic;
- 5-6 sprigs of rosemary;
- 5-10 grams of ground black pepper;
- 30-40 sprigs of thyme;
- 7 large pinches of salt;
- 2 teaspoons of cumin.
First you need to prepare the marinade for the meat. It will help get rid of unpleasant odors, if any. To prepare the marinade, you can use a mortar or knife. When choosing the first method, simply put herbs, peppercorns, salt, cumin, garlic into a mortar and, adding olive oil, grind everything until smooth.
If you don’t have a mortar at hand, you can chop the rosemary with a knife and remove the leaves from the thyme. In this case, the garlic should be slightly crushed with the palm of your hand and cut perpendicular to the crushed fibers into small pieces. Now combine and mix all the elements of the marinade.
Then, having a ready-made marinade, carefully lubricate the pieces of meat with it. We wait about 2 hours so that the meat is properly soaked. Next, each piece needs to be wrapped in foil. To do this, you need to use the thickest foil you can find. It would be ideal to wrap the piece in two layers of foil, this is necessary in order to prevent the juices from leaking out during baking.
Now put everything in the oven for about 40 minutes, setting the temperature to 200 degrees. It is very important not to overcook the meat in the oven; check it 30 minutes after the start of cooking by cutting one of the pieces - if the meat is pink inside, it means the dish is ready. Overcooked lamb will have a gray color. Lamb meat should be eaten hot, as after cooling the dish loses its “zest”.
Also, lamb marinated in the above way can be quickly and tasty cooked over a fire, using a grill and the same instructions as for cooking in the oven.
It is important to note that in this cooking method, the meat must be turned over periodically to avoid burning.
Braised lamb neck
This dish is perfect for a holiday table, due to its appearance and delicious taste. To prepare four servings you will need the following ingredients:
- kilogram of lamb neck;
- 200 grams of mushrooms;
- one carrot;
- two bell peppers;
- one onion;
- three cloves of garlic;
- 5-6 cardamom fruits;
- spices to taste;
- a tablespoon of soy sauce.
First you need to fry the pieces of meat in a hot frying pan until a golden brown crust appears on them. Next, place the meat in a cauldron, followed by all the ingredients except onions and peppers. Lamb should be simmered over low heat for an hour. At the same time, you can fry the onion and bell pepper in a frying pan.
After the lamb has been stewed, add onions and peppers, and then mix the ingredients. The dish is ready and now it can be served.
If you are in no hurry to cook the meat, you can leave it to marinate overnight.
Lamb neck (neck) is the edible part of a ram (sheep) carcass. It is characterized by a high content of fatty tissue, which is why this type of lamb is eaten mainly in boiled and stewed form.
Calorie content
100 grams of lamb neck contains about 121 kcal.
Compound
The chemical composition of lamb neck is characterized by a high content of proteins, fats, vitamins (B3, B4, B5, B9, B12, K), macro- (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus) and microelements (iron, manganese, copper, zinc, selenium).
How to cook
As noted earlier, lamb neck is eaten mainly in boiled and stewed form. The limitation in the choice of method of culinary processing of this type of lamb is due solely to the presence of a large amount of fat in this part of the animal carcass. In addition, the neck is subject to significant physical stress during the life of the animal, which causes increased rigidity of this meat. That is why it is used in the preparation mainly only of those dishes, the preparation process of which involves boiling or stewing for a long time. As a rule, soups, broths, jellied meats, stews, pilaf, chopped cutlets, as well as minced meat, which often includes not only spices, but also other types of meat, are prepared from lamb neck.
What goes with it?
Lamb neck goes well with most vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, legumes, carrots), hot and sweet and sour sauces, some types of fruits (dates, apricots), a significant part of spices (cumin, thyme, oregano, marjoram), as well as low-alcohol drinks (semi-sweet, sweet wines).
How to choose
The main factor in choosing a lamb neck is the age of the animal. It must be young, since the meat obtained from it has a minimal content of fat, as well as rough muscle tissue. This significantly simplifies and speeds up the culinary process, and at the same time expands the list of dishes that can be prepared using this type of lamb. That is why when choosing a lamb neck you should pay attention to its color. This part of the carcass of young animals is painted in light (not bright) shades of red, and the fat lacks yellowness and friability. Another factor in choosing lamb neck is the aroma, which should not show any signs of mustiness or rottenness.
Storage
When fresh, lamb neck should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within several days. You can preserve meat for a longer period if you freeze it. If the temperature is maintained (not higher than minus 18 degrees Celsius), it can be stored for up to six months. In this case, defrosting this type of lamb should occur gradually, i.e. at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The use of aggressive heat to accelerate this process negatively affects the organoleptic properties of this meat.
Beneficial features
Due to the high content of fatty tissue, lamb neck does not have as many beneficial properties as other types of lamb. However, the chemical composition of this meat also represents an impressive list of various biologically active substances, one way or another, positively affecting human health. In particular, eating lamb neck dishes stimulates the processes of metabolism, hematopoiesis and the formation of muscle and bone tissue, reduces nervous excitability, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and has an immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effect.
Restrictions on use
Individual intolerance, excess weight, liver and kidney diseases, arthritis, gout, as well as increased acidity of gastric juice, as well as diseases of the digestive system.
There are a huge number of recipes with meat ingredients. Lamb neck, for example, comes out great in the oven. This type of meat is mistakenly considered specific. However, a lot depends on the recipe and method of preparation. In addition, lamb is a dietary meat. It has less cholesterol than beef and especially pork. It also holds the record for the amount of vitamins, for example, group B. It also contains a huge amount of minerals: iron, zinc, potassium. For this reason, it is worth including lamb dishes in your diet.
Lamb with vegetables: tasty and aromatic
Recipes for preparing lamb neck are varied. The following products are used in this recipe:
- five potato tubers;
- 500 grams of pulp;
- onion head;
- one carrot;
- three tomatoes;
- odorless vegetable oil;
- half a glass of water;
- spices, salt and pepper.
It is believed that a spice such as cumin goes well with lamb meat. It neutralizes the unpleasant odor of this type of meat for many. For this reason, recipes for lamb neck and other parts of the animal are often accompanied by this spice.
How to cook lamb?
This dish is very easy to prepare. Due to deliberate simplicity, tender meat and beautiful vegetables are obtained. First, take the meat, wash and dry it. Rub with salt and all spices. Postponed.
Vegetables are peeled and cut into arbitrary pieces. They try to ensure that they are harmoniously combined with each other in size. It is also better to peel the tomatoes so that they boil and become a wonderful sauce. Place vegetables in a baking dish and place meat on them. Sprinkle everything with vegetable oil. Water is poured into the mold. Cover everything with foil.
The oven is heated to 200 degrees. How to determine the readiness of lamb neck? The oven recipe assumes that tasty meat is obtained when pinkish juice comes out of the piece. That is, the lamb does not need to be dried. At this temperature, the dish cooks for about 1.5 hours. Afterwards, remove the foil and send the dish to brown.
Delicious dish in tomato with rosemary
This lamb neck recipe requires the following ingredients:
- 1.5 kilograms of lamb;
- salt and pepper;
- a pair of onions;
- tomato paste to taste;
- a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary;
- a pinch of dried coriander;
- a little dried basil.
This dish is prepared in a cauldron. Then the lamb comes out tender and juicy. To begin, rub the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly fry the onion in a frying pan with vegetable oil. They put it in a cauldron. Place the lamb on top and pour water over it to cover the piece. You can also cut the meat into large pieces for convenience. Add tomato paste and spices. The cauldron is covered with something and left untouched for about two hours. Rice or any other cereal can be an excellent side dish.
Lamb is an unusual meat. Some people don't like its specific smell. But they simply don’t know that they need to choose young meat and skillfully combine it with different spices, for example, cumin does this perfectly. In this case, you will always get a tender dish. Lamb neck recipes allow you to enjoy meat that is interesting in taste and tender in softness.
Lamb is an original, healthy meat that is well absorbed by the human body. You can make many dishes with it; it is subjected to a wide variety of heat treatment methods: stewed, fried, boiled, baked, smoked. The specificity of this meat is that not every cook can cook it juicy and tender; not everyone can get rid of the specific aroma, which not everyone likes.
Indeed, not everyone loves lamb, but those who are “hooked” on it know that there is no meat more aromatic and tastier. Tender, juicy, appetizing lamb, baked in the oven, beckons with all its appearance, attracts with aromas that highlight the advantages of this meat.
In the East, lamb is the most popular meat; everyone eats it there for any occasion. Lamb that is no more than 3 years old is valued, as well as dairy lambs. In our area, the choice is small, but you can still cook delicious lamb, you need to know some secrets, we’ll talk about them at the end of the article.
Our chefs cook lamb in the oven in foil, lamb in the sleeve in the oven, lamb in pots in the oven, i.e., basically baked. Baked lamb dishes are much healthier than fried ones. Delicious lamb in the oven is obtained if it is slightly simmered, boiled, stewed or fried before baking. However, more often it is baked raw, without prior heat treatment and marinated with spices. Another feature of this meat is that it is convenient and effective to cook with it as a side dish at the same time. Lamb with potatoes in the oven or lamb with vegetables in the oven is an excellent main dish for the holiday table. Lamb in foil, baked in the oven, will decorate any celebration, conquer the hearts and stomachs of even its opponents, if done correctly and with soul.
Cook healthy and tasty lamb in the oven, you will find recipes on our website. And be sure to use photographs of ready-made lamb dishes in the oven, the photo will make your choice informed and correct. Therefore, one of the pieces of advice from experienced chefs: cook the lamb in the oven whose recipes with photos suited you best in all respects. For example, if you liked the recipe for lamb with potatoes in the oven, study it not only from the text of the recipe, but also from the photographs of the finished dish.
How to cook lamb in the oven according to all the rules? Here are some tips from knowledgeable chefs:
Choose young meat. Dairy lamb meat does not have the specific smell inherent in old animals, and is also very beneficial for the body;
In the absence of such meat, use meat no older than 18 months. To eliminate the specific smell, the meat needs to be boiled a little before baking;
Lamb is baked with a wide variety of products, from vegetables to dried fruits and fruits;
Suitable for baking is a leg of lamb or parts thereof, tenderloin or shoulder;
Herbs and spices go very well with lamb, for example, marjoram, thyme, oregano;
Lamb is baked in the oven at a temperature of 220-280 degrees for an hour; a crispy crust on the surface of the meat will indicate its readiness;
When baking along with lamb, prepare a vegetable side dish - the products are mutually enriched with aromas, making it even tastier;
This dish should always be prepared just before serving; it is not advisable to store long-baked lamb, because its qualities deteriorate sharply over time;
To prevent the lamb from drying out, cover it with foil or bake it in a sleeve. You can open the meat 15 minutes before the end of baking to allow it to brown a little.
Who doesn’t consider themselves a pilaf-cooking master! In fact, there are only a few of us, real masters. And every pilaf we have is a masterpiece!
The great classics recommend lamb thigh or, as a last resort, shoulder blade for pilaf. But, let’s reveal a secret: neck is no worse for pilaf! Not just no worse, but even better: the thigh is still a muscle!
Exhausted, tough. And the neck has the most tender meat, it cooks perfectly, tasty and aromatic! Listen to us and you won’t regret it - take the neck, they sell it cut into pieces. You can cut off more flesh from each piece and cut it into two or three parts, we will have pieces with a bone (the spine and around the pulp) and pieces of pulp.
Fry them in hot oil until golden brown. The classics advise frying the onions first - do not believe them, the onion field will not fry the meat well, it will darken without being covered with a golden brown crust, in which high-molecular substances are formed, adored by the sense of smell and with a magical taste. If you add barberry when frying meat, the aroma will float such that not only neighbors, cats and birds will begin to inhale it with envy, but also passing clouds will slow down their path, enjoying the aroma...
Then the onion, chopped coarsely and certainly lengthwise, then fry the red carrots. You can now put in the pre-soaked nokhat so that its heat treatment can begin. The meat must be heavily salted. Then add water, a little, barely covering the contents, bring to a boil and reduce the heat so that it barely gurgles.
Wash and soak the rice in warm water; you can add salt to the water.
Place yellow carrots on top of the contents of the cauldron; they may not come into contact with moisture; they can be steamed. After 15-20 minutes, place finely chopped dumba, garlic cloves (you can use whole heads, but this is another option), half of all the cumin and washed and sorted raisins on the carrots.
Let it simmer for another 5 minutes (you can cover it) and add the rice, turn the heat to maximum, salt the rice, taste it and add salt.
The rice should be stirred occasionally without touching the carrots. All words are unnecessary here - you need to feel, you need experience, instinct and luck... If necessary, you can add a little water.
Before closing the cauldron, the rice must be ready (maybe with a little crunch in the middle), all the water must be absorbed and the contents must not burn - few people succeed in all three conditions in the first hundred attempts...
Well, you need a good amount of indifference, as they say, “without fanaticism,” the more you worry and fuss, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong.
When the rice is ready, pour the remaining cumin onto it, dig it in a little, and cover the cauldron tightly.
Let it sit on low heat for 10 minutes and without heat for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, let's prepare the salad. In spring, the best thing is radishes with herbs in sour milk, amazingly tasty with pilaf.
You open it, intoxicated by the aroma, stir it, hearing the cries of hungry household members, and put it on plates or on a large lagan.
We sit down and enjoy the meal. Looking at the eaters chewing with pleasure, you don’t even have to ask: is it tasty? Still would.
As one poet said (about the moments after pilaf): “And that’s it! And you can die..."
