We like to kill our own meat for home consumption as much as possible. That way we can be sure that the animal has been grass fed, had no harmful chemicals, treated gently for whole of life, and is killed humanely. ( We stun the sheep with a bullet in a comparatively stress free situation, before cutting its throat). There is also pleasure in being able to eat meat that has been born and raised on our farm, and offers a good opportunity to check the quality, as these are the animals we sell to others to eat, and are the progeny of our rams. We can see if they are carrying too much fat, if the livers are healthy, and that the carcase yield is up to scratch.
Cutting up the sheep
I love the challenge of cooking all of the animal, but I always seem to fail on what to do with the flaps or lamb breast as I heard them called on "Masterchef" the other night. The easy option is to feed them to the working dogs, but there must be wonderful tasty things to make with them. I have set myself the challenge of finding ten great ways to prepare them before we kill the next sheep, so if anyone has any great recipies let me know.
Love your blog. It's really interesting. What you're doing on the farm there is fabulous. I'm a little bit envious apart from those winter temperatures. I actually have good friends in Braidwood. They own the restaurant Torpeas.
Anyway. Hope you are well and in regard to the lamb breast this recipe is pretty good
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in an iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
Step 3
Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
Step 4
Pour the cooked onions and garlic into a mixing bowl and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Combine 2 tbsp. of all-purpose flour, bread crumbs, mint leaves and feta, along with the onions and garlic. This will be the stuffing for the lamb flaps.
Step 6
Lay the lamb flaps, fat or skin side down, on a meat-safe cutting board.
Step 7
Spoon the stuffing across the length of the lamb flap.
Step 8
Carefully roll the lamb flaps into a log. Don't be overly concerned if the stuffing oozes out.
Step 9
Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a clean, oven-safe skillet under high heat.
Step 10
Lay the rolled lamb flaps into the skillet and brown on all sides for 10 minutes.
Step 11
Place the skillet into the oven and roast for 35 minutes.
Step 12
Remove promptly and allow the lamb flaps to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 13
Slice the lamb flaps and serve with currant or raspberry jam.