COOKING SUGGESTIONS
- FOR WENSLEYDALE MEAT
Wensleydale sheep mature slowly so the lamb you buy from
Beech hill Farm will be between 10 and 18 months old. (Hogget) The lambs are fed on the best available
ingredients including garlic, seaweed meal and other herbs for health. They
only travel 3 miles to our local abattoir, so stress is minimal.
The meat is hung according to the
age of the animal: between 10 and 14
days. This gives it superb flavour and a
soft grain.
To cook the best into your meat allow enough time for it to thaw out thoroughly: 24 - 36 hours and keep refrigerated once the thaw has gone part way. You can save the juices if you want to make a good gravy.
Do not cook it "blue" and too fast as you would baby lamb. It pays to marinade noisettes, neck fillet, breast medallions etc. with herbs,oil and and other flavourings you like.
Casserole meat will be either leg or shoulder and can be sealed first with a good quality oil and then cooked in a closed pan with onions, veg and additional water.
A larger joint is best "French Roasted" or Pot Roasted until the end and then finished in an open dish. Remove any unwanted fat first with a sharp knife.
Put the onions, veg, (carrots, peppers, celery, parsnips , leeks etc) in the bottom of a deep roasting dish with good sides to it. Put the joint on top and add rosemary, oregano, thyme or your favourite herb underneath and on top with a little salt/pepper and oil to baste it. You wont need a lot of additional oil but you will need up to a litre of water depending on the size of the joint.Start with half and take a look part way through to see if you need more. Close over the whole dish with foil and put in moderate oven ( not sizzle heat), starting on the bottom and moving it up part way through. The water will slowly cook out and keep all the meat fibres moist and prevent shrinkage. Allow approx. 20 - 25 mins per 1lb plus an extra 20 mins or so depending on the density of the meat with the last 30 mins uncovered if you want a more roasted finish.
Take it out of the oven and pour off the juices and fat if there is quite a bit.
You can then lift off any further fat before making your gravy or sauce. This gives the meat time to rest before it is carved.mmmm
Enjoy