The Cut Of Lamb That's The Absolute Best For Roasting

Roasting lamb is something of an art form. It may not be the most commonly consumed meat in the country (that title belongs to chicken), but lamb makes a tender, succulent, and flavorful meal when roasted, as long as you know what you're doing, starting with choosing the right cut of meat. They are all delicious in their own right, not to mention the leftovers can be used to make irresistible meat-filled pastries, but each part of the lamb cooks a bit differently and requires different cooking methods to get the best results each time.

Peter Lipson, executive chef of Gus and Marty's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is no stranger to serving lamb on the restaurant's Greek tavern-inspired menu, and he shared some exclusive insight with Chowhound on which cut is best for roasting. For a succulent dish that is full of juicy flavor, he suggests purchasing a chuck or shoulder cut. "I like a meaty and fatty cut of lamb for slow roasting," Lipson says. "The meat is resilient to long cooking while the fat keeps it moist." While the chuck and shoulder are technically two different cuts of meat, both come from the front of the animal, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The meat from this area gets a lot of use, which makes it naturally tough, so it responds well to slow cooking methods like roasting. This way, the fat has plenty of time to melt and develop into richly flavored juices. The result is tender meat that falls right off the bone and is packed with an umami blast of flavor.

Peter Lipson may recommend meat from the shoulder for roasting, but that doesn't mean you should avoid a lamb roast if your butcher is out of your top choice. If you need an alternative, he suggests getting a lamb shank. This cut, which comes from the lamb's lower leg that runs from the knee to the ankle, is loaded with flavor and richness. The muscles in the lower leg are heavily used by the lamb, resulting in a cut of meat that is full of connective tissue, which develops deep flavors during the cooking process as long as it is roasted slowly. The shank can be roasted with or without the bone, but when done right, a perfectly roasted boneless leg of lamb is a showstopper.

Lipson doesn't, however, recommend trying to roast lamb chops. "They are best quickly grilled on a hot charcoal grill," he says. This is not surprising, as matching the cook to the cut of meat is extremely important. Small pieces like individual lamb chops, which are always a smarter buy at Costco instead of the grocery store, will only need between three and six minutes per side on a hot grill, depending on how thick they are and how well done you want them. With such a short cooking time, the meat will quickly overcook in the oven. But the hot coals of a charcoal grill will kiss the meat and give the lamb a charbroil that will make your mouth water.