Pefect Lamb Steak with Root Veg Mash

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.

Valentine Lamb Steak

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!

Recipe: Pefect Lamb Steak with Root Veg Mash

Lamb is a great meat but it needs to be cooked perfectly. Here’s how!

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

Method

  1. Peel your veggies and bring a pot of salted water up to the boil, then place your veggies inside. Boil until softened.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)