Lamb cooking
The definition of lamb, in the UK at least, is if the animal is sold in the year in which it is born. Or, if born from the beginning of October then in the subsequent calendar year, and generally the younger the animal is the more tender its meat will be. When buying you can look for a lighter pink colour of the flesh as an indicator of a younger animal, darker meaning the meat is older. Although this is not a bad thing it will require a longer cooking time so it is dependent on your recipe. Lamb cooking recipes that specify shorter times will need the younger meat.
In supermarkets you will frequently find lamb that has been sourced from New Zealand, mainly because of the large quantities that are produced there meaning the supermarkets can acquire it for a cheaper price. This will be fine, but today many people are concerned about food miles and the effect on the environment, not to mention the difference in taste. With such a wealth of good quality lamb in the UK, including rare breeds, there is little need for lamb to be sourced from anywhere else. If you struggle getting British lamb from your supermarket you will certainly be able to find it at your local butchers. Purchasing rare breed lamb helps to sustain the population of these breeds as the more demand there is for them the more farmers will keep them, and gradually they become less rare. It may be a little more expensive but lamb cooking with these better cuts generally has a far superior flavour.
After purchasing your lamb it should be stored in the refrigerator, at the bottom. This keeps it at a cooler temperature but is also preferable as raw meat should be stored at the bottom to prevent cross contamination with cooked foods. If you need to store it for any longer than a few days it will freeze, like most meat, very well. What part of the lamb you have bought and the length of time you will need to cook it for depends on the recipe. For lamb cooking as part of a roast, the most popular cut is a leg of lamb, due to its bulk it will take to being in the oven for a long time and has a good layer of fat to baste it with. An alternative to the leg for a roast is the shoulder, it is slightly cheaper and can be bought boned and rolled, many prefer this as it is easier to carve. The length of time you cook it for will depend on its size and how well you like it cooked.
For lamb cooking with the less premium cuts of meat and the fattier parts, it will benefit from being cooked more slowly, perhaps in a stew or casserole. This will tenderise it more and the longer it is cooking in the pot with the other ingredients the more flavoursome it will be.
