Pefect Lamb Steak with Root Veg Mash
February 15th, 2009 by Scott |
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This isn’t so much of a recipe as a way of cooking – one that is so quick and easy it makes a regular appearance on my table whenever I’m pushed for time, usually following a hard day at work. The lamb steaks, by the way, were provided for review purposes by Donald Russell – more about that later.
Perfect Lamb Steak
I’m still surprised by how many people say (and presumably believe) that they eat ready meals after work because they “haven’t got time” to cook. What a load of rubbish! This lamb steak recipe takes around 20 minutes including the time to peel the veggies, so there’s really no excuse. A lamb steak served atop root vegetable mash and finished off with a red wine sauce beats microwave lasagne hands down every time, doesn’t it?
And about that meat. When Donald Russell asked me if I would be interested in sampling some of their Valentines Lamb Steaks for review, my first impression was “Are you kidding? Of course I’d be interested!”. Donald Russell are renowned as purveyors of high quality grass fed beef and lamb (and more), so I literally jumped at the chance.
My package turned up last week in a big polystyrene box filled with dry ice sachets to keep the meat frozen; inside was a box rather like lingerie is delivered in – a sheet of delicate tissue paper inside wrapped up the goodies. Upon defrosting and unwrapping the lamb the first thing apparent was the deep red colour (a stark contrast to “supermarket pink”); presumably a result of the ageing process. I’m also happy to report that the flavour was rich and deep; very lamby (of course) but with slight gamey undertones. The texture was also delicious, with my teeth sinking through the meat without obstruction by gristly fat or such-like.
Based on this sample I urge you to check out Donald Russell if you like good quality meat; it is certainly not cheap – currently £41.60 for a pack of 8 Valentines Lamb Steaks – but that still works out at just a little over £5 per person, which hardly breaks the bank.
Anyways, on with the recipe!
Pefect Lamb Steak with Root Veg Mash – Ingredients
- Lamb steaks (1 or 2 per person, depending how greedy you are)
- 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary per steak
- Red Wine
- Butter
- Mixed root vegetables, including potato. I used 50/50 potatoes and carrots, and would suggest sticking to the same ratio (50% potatoes to whatever veggies you choose). Swede or parsnips would work equally well, as would any combination.
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Pefect Lamb Steak with Root Veg Mash – Method
- Peel your veggies and bring a pot of salted water up to the boil, then place your veggies inside. Boil until softened.
- Meanwhile, place a frying pan / griddle pan over a high heat. Rub your steaks with olive oil on either side, then place in the pan. If the temperature is right you’ll hear a satisfying sizzle when they hit the pan (if not, lift them out and let the temperature build up a little).
- While the lamb is cooking grind black pepper on to the top size of the steak. Place a sprig of rosemary on the top of each one and push down to make sure it sticks.
- Fry the lamb for a couple of minutes (you should have a good colour on the underside by now) before flipping it over. Another couple of minutes and you can remove it from the pan – but feel free to leave it a couple of minutes longer if you don’t like your meat served pink.
- If you’re on schedule your veggies won’t be quite ready yet, which is perfect; you need time for the lamb to rest for a minute while you prepare the sauce. Take the pan off the heat for a second (important – I nearly set myself on fire once by building up too much heat in a dry pan) pour in a good glug (1/2 a glass or so) of red wine. Return to the heat and while this bubbles away (this is de-glazing, if you’ve never done it before) scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove all of the sticky black bits – this is where all of the flavour is!
- After a couple of minutes your red wine should have reduced in volume by about half. Add in a knob of butter and a twist of salt and pepper and stir around.
- Serve your root vegetable mash straight onto the plates and place the lamb steaks on top. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the sauce directly onto the lamb / mash.
You’re done. I hope you enjoy this simple but effective lamb dish!
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Tags: donald russell, lamb, root vegetables
Filed under: Meat & Fish.
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Oh I would be so happy to come home from work, find I had some steaks as beautiful as this in my fridge and whip up this recipe! Looks lovely. If you’ve got some time (maybe for a Sunday dinner) I’ve been pretty into Irish lamb stew lately…
Laura, I’ve seen your Irish stew and was impressed enough that I’m going to try it some time within the next few weeks. It better be good!
Lovely recipe, delicious in its simplicity. I enjoy your blog and the memories it brings me of living in the UK!
Thanks for the compliments! How long ago did you leave the UK – and whereabouts did you live while you were here?
I love lamb and I would love it even more if it was this lamb……
If it was which lamb? Perhaps I missed the point…
Scrub my last comment. I see it in context now (d’oh!)
It’s true…if you know your knife skills, even simple ones, and can pan fry or broil meat, you can have a quick and delicious meal in a very short time. I love lamb, so this would be a real treat any time!
Agreed. A cheaper cut such as a lamb shoulder makes a great dinner.
Those steaks look divine!
Going to a restaurant breaks the bank, cooking at home doesn’t. Every now and then we treat ourselves to fillet. We console ourselves by thinking it would have cost more than triple at a restaurant.
Don’t get me started on ready-made meals!
It’s true. Even the cheaper restaurants charge £15 or so for a main course, so that really puts a good quality lamb steak at £5 per person into perspective!
Ooh lucky you! Free meat!
That lamb looks delicious though… and yes, I’m alwasy dumbfounded when friends fill their trolleys with packets of ready meals. It’s not quicker, and often not even cheaper!
You’re right that it’s not even quicker. In 10 minutes I could either heat up a frozen pizza OR, for example, boil some pasta and make a homemade pesto. Perhaps I can feel a “beat the ready meal” food blogging event coming on.
Nothing beats a hot fresh homecooked meal… & this is as good as it can get:-)
It’s not bad, I’ll give you that!
love the idea of the mixed veg mash … a good way to sneak extra veg into the kids!
I remember when I was a kid; I hated veg, too. I wonder why that is? I love it now.
I love lamb. Which cut are these steaks? We often get only shoulder chops.
Hi Cynthia, these steaks are cut from the loin.
ahha,…… “haven’t got time” to cook. What a load of rubbish! –> I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! Until now, I can’t understand why some people are not willing to cook from scratch but survive on microwavable meals…. !!
Well done!
By the way, the lamb steak looks tender and juicy!
Thanks. Great to speak to people with similar food opinions, unfortunately there’s not that many left
I agree on your comment about prep times.
Lovely looking lamb, I’m keen on the whole non-supermarket based meat as well. Love a red wine sauce too, its the first meal I made with my lamb chops a while back!
A red wine sauce is so easy, isn’t it? It can look quite professional and taste delicious, too. A great combination!
Oh my, that lamb looks great! I’d happily receive a giftbox of steaks over lingerie any day!
Agreed, but a peice of steak isn’t so good at keeping your bottom warm on a cold day!
My goodness but that looks awesome! You are making me want to leave my vegetarian ways far, far behind. Wow.
Try it – no-one will know
No, actually, I couldn’t live with my conscience. Keep eating the veggies!
I totally agree – why anyone would want pre-packaged meals when something this good is this easy….
Great to hear. Now the difficulty comes in when trying to choose new, original dishes at home. But that’s part of the challenge!
Looks perfect and easy for after work!
Absolutely; the last thing I want after a hard day at work is to spend hours in the kitchen, so dishes like this are a saviour.
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Bought some lamb steaks today and gonna make this tomorrow night! Once you eat real food you never go back!
Agreed. Let me know how it works out for you!
Supremely simple and exactly what I needed today! Learned so much from this one recipe, that I needed to express my appreciation! I have an herb garden so the rosemary was there. Thank you, An American Fan of Lamb whose never cooked it before and doesn’t have a gas grill.
I’m still learning too, so can appreciate how much simple tips can help. Glad you found this one helpful, too!