# lamb stock?



## rufustf (Jun 5, 2007)

I was wondering, does anyone ever make this? I have a bunch of leftover lamb shank bones and thought I'd give it a go. However, every lamb recipe I've ever seen that calls for stock lists beef stock, beef & chicken stock, or veal stock. Is this because no one sells it commercially? Or maybe because it just tastes awful? I don't know, so I'm asking.
My lady used to live in New Zealand and tells me that mutton was the main protein staple. Nearly every dinner at the homes of others was roast mutton followed by a pavlova (she hates pavlova, LOVED the mutton). I'm wondering how there could be all those lamb/sheep bones around and no one making stock.
Or is it really just awful? 
Thanks in advance-
RTF


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

There was a greek restaurant (well, "restaurant" - the cheap kind of place i could afford to eat in - it had those plastic fake fireplaces ,with rotating lights in them to resemble flames, hung up on the wall all over the place like sconces, to give you an idea) in cambridge many many years ago that had egg-lemon soup and it was clearly a lamb stock. Lamb has a distinctive taste. I don;t know if they were just using up their leftover bones and it actually *wasn't* supposed to be made that way, because the recipes i happened to find for it call for chicken broth, but that could just be because they were in american cookbooks, and chicken broth is easily available. I did try making it once with lamb bones and it was good, though a bit stronger than i was used to (the sheepy taste comes through, as in pecorino cheese, and maybe that's why it goes well with the lemon) But i have no idea how authentic it is. We'll have to wait for Koukovagia or other greek expert. My guess is that people don;t waste bones if they can use them for soup, at least in traditional cuisines. I liked it anyway.


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I make lamb stock. 

I always roast the bones before making the stock.


----------



## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I wish lamb meat were as available as beef here in Oregon. As it is, lamb is about as available as frogs' legs.


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I know many Greeks that make veal stock for egg-lemon based soups and tomato based soups. That being said I can't stand the stuff, lamb stock is the keeper of the worst part of the lamb - the smell!

Experiment with it on your own and see if you like it. May as well. Use it for the purpose of soup, do not substitute it for chicken broth. 

In Krete the traditional dish of the island is old goat's head soup and pilaf. You can use lamb stock for this. When the stock is ready add enough rice so that when cooked you will get a very very soupy risotto. Add a knob of butter and plenty of lemon juice. Serve.


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

Actually, lamb stock can be used for sauces... for lamb, of course.

The problem is the smell, and the main way to get rid of that is to get rid of the fat. The best way is to roast the bones and meat, after first trimming thoroughly. As you make the stock, SKIM SKIM SKIM -- there's less leeway here. Make it strong: either you want that flavor intensely or you don't want it at all, so reduce if you have to -- it should gel lightly when cold.

Don't store it too long, either. I'd give it 1 month in the freezer, tops.

To make a great lamb sauce, combine 500 cc strong brown lamb stock and 1 bottle decent Merlot (you'd be willing to drink it). Bring to a strong simmer, skim very well, add 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, several cracked peppercorns, and 1 fresh rosemary sprig. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let cook until reduced 50%, which will take an hour or more; you can do it faster, but for some reason it doesn't taste as good. Strain very fine, then reduce relatively rapidly by another 50%, until thickened to sauce consistency (it should nap a bit). Mount with 3-4 Tb butter and serve with (for example) herb-crusted rack of lamb. 

Add a side of garlicky white beans, a salad of good bitter spring greens, a loaf of crusty bread, and an excellent Merlot to drink, and you've got a meal to remember.


----------



## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Lamb stock smells like lamb -- this is a problem??? Not to me!  I almost always make stock with the bones (unless I am giving them to my friend's dog). And I freeze it in small (1-cup) containers to have it for sauces and stews.

As for the fat: as long as you don't boil the stock violently and disperse the fat throughout it, just let it settle out as the stock cools. Then refrigerate, and it will solidify into a layer that is very easy to remove. You can reheat the stock to either reduce it or liquefy it enough to pour into storage containers.


----------



## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

On the subject of lamb/smell-

We fed our dog a mess of lamb scraps and it gave her...gas. It was the worst smell any of us had experienced. We locked her out of the house for three days (we were in southern California, so she didn't freeze.)
She didn't understand why, and was heartbroken. But she had to stay out for three full days. 

Mike


----------



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

This is exactly why I don't cook with lamb too much. It's cold here in NY and my husband wouldn't survive out on the balcony.


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Only time I ever use it is when I make scotch broth. And I dont use it same day , fridge overnight to get all fat and grease out (for anything else it's to strong gamey and greasy.


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I use lamb stock for a number of dishes, Scotch broth soup, Irish Stew and Lancashire Hotpot, for example.

As long as you skim the stock well - it adds a depth of flavour to any dish with lamb.


----------



## elchivito (Jan 25, 2009)

If you can, get a farm raised lamb and use it's bones for stock. The difference will amaze you. What passes for lamb in the grocery store is more like small mutton than a real milk fed lamb. Pure white fat, not that strong nasty yellow stuff you see on store lamb.


----------



## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

You've all heard of Beano perhaps

Maybe there is a market for Lambo, somebody make something up. Maybe a label with a Rambo guy but with a sheep's head on it. . . . LAMBO. Make it sound really manly.


----------



## backybay (Dec 7, 2008)

Nice menu. :bounce::bounce:


----------

