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Lamb Neck Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to lamb neck
About lamb neck
Lamb neck is an inexpensive but tough cut of a lamb that requires slow, long cooking. Lamb neck may seem as though it doesn't produce much meat, but it can actually yield a lot once every scrap is made tender. Lamb neck is a type of meat eaten worldwide, and its rich taste can be combined with highly flavored ingredients and spices. Lamb neck is commonly roasted at Easter for quick cooking as chops or in stews or tagines. However, lamb is a versatile type of meat that's suitable for many different cooking methods.
Prime lamb cuts can be roasted, barbecued, and quick-cooked to prepare a quick meal. Lamb neck is available as minced meat, making it a great alternative to beef for making kebabs and burgers. Lamb neck is commonly used for preparing shepherd's pie, the most common and traditional use of lamb dishes. Lamb neck cuts are subdivided into:
- Neck chops: Neck chops are extracted from a bone-in lamb neck and are made up of working muscle. They tend to have a lot of connective tissue. Neck chops are best suited for slow, low, and moist cooking methods to impart tenderness and flavor and break down connective tissue.
- Neck fillet roast: The neck fillet roast is extracted from a forequarter. The forequarter is a well-used muscle containing a lot of connective tissue. Neck fillet roast is cooked using a slow and low method, but the excess fat surface must first be trimmed. Connective tissue usually melts down to provide a tender result and infuse flavor.
- Neck rosette: Neck rosettes are lamb neck cuts with a central bone inside them. Neck rosettes contain plenty of connective tissue since they are made up of well-exercised muscle. They are best suited for slow, low, and moist cooking methods to allow the bone to impart flavor and break down the connective tissue for improved tenderness.
Lamb neck cooking tips
Like oxtail, lamb neck is naturally designed for low, moist, and slow cooking. Think of lamb neck like a bunch of tender meat insulated and surrounded by fats and bones that keep it moist while it cooks. Cooking a simple braised neck isn't complicated. You just need a Dutch oven, crockpot, or a roomy pot to cook the neck in. Here is the process of cooking a braised lamb neck:
- Season the lamb neck with salt.
- Brown the neck chops or rosettes in fat and add some flavorings and spices.
- Put the cuts in a covered pot and add enough liquid to cover it halfway. Then cook the cuts for two hours on low heat.
- Add some vegetables and cook the meat until it gets tender.
- Cut the meat into manageable pieces and add it back to whatever you're cooking.
Slow cooking isn't the only trick for cooking lamb neck chops. Covering the pot in which you are cooking the chops can quicken cooking and make the meat tastier. However, it can sometimes be challenging to cover neck bones due to their large and awkward shape and size. You can put the entire neck in a pot and fill it with water, but that can result in something too brothy. Try as much as you can to insulate and trap moisture while the lamb neck cooks.
Overcooking is a proven trick for cooking lamb neck. Allow the neck to cook until tender, then cool it and pick off the meat from the bone. However, consider how you want to cook the meat after extracting it from the bone. The neck meat is usually ready to serve after it is extracted from the bone, so it may not be necessary to simmer it longer or cook it longer by adding it to a recipe.
Lamb Neck Near Me
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FAQs about lamb neck
Raw lamb neck should be packaged in disposable plastic bags, but remember to contain any leakage that could contaminate cooked produce or food. Experts recommend keeping lamb neck cold during distribution to slow bacteria growth. Repackaging lamb neck before freezing it is safe. For long-term freezing, consider wrapping the storage packages to prevent freezer burn.
There are three safe ways to defrost lamb:
- The refrigerator: Experts discourage defrosting lamb in open locations or on the counter. Neck fillet roasts can take two days or longer to defrost in the refrigerator, while lamb neck chops and rosettes can defrost within a day.
- Cold water: To thaw lamb neck in water, be sure to put it in an airtight package. Keep changing the water every 30 minutes to allow for continued defrosting.
- Microwave: If you defrost lamb neck in the microwave, cook it immediately after thawing because some areas may begin to cook during microwaving, which can allow bacteria to grow if the meat isn't used right away.