Friday, April 18, 2014

How to Debone & Butterfly a Leg of Lamb for Fun and Profit

As promised, here’s the video for how to debone and butterfly your own leg of lamb. Since I am going to save you a few dollars, when the butcher asks you if you want it deboned, I'd appreciate it if you said something like, “I watch Food Wishes, so I’ve got it covered.” By the way, I was only half kidding about using a fat, dull knife. 

Bored cooks have been known to do this with butter knives, steak knives, pairing knives, or any other knife they think would win them an after shift beer (I've heard from a friend). The point is, cooks drink a lot, and you don’t need a razor-sharp blade to do this at home. So, if you’re doing a whole leg of lamb this Easter, I hope you give this simple technique a try. Have a great holiday, and as always, enjoy!

8 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Thank you! I always enjoy your videos. You make it all enjoyable.

FlowerLady

Dan and Hilary said...

Awesome demo. I'm always like 'my internet chef is a former culinary teacher, no big deal.'

Gotta ask, what do you do with that gorgeous bone, lamb stock for stew maybe like a beef stock?

Happy Easter great lamb post!

mattjeast said...

I had the same question about the giant bone as Dan and Hilary. Thanks for the instructional video!

Chef John said...

Sure you can make stock with it! But not much. ;)

Steve Kennedy said...

Roast that bone low and slow to about 200 degrees and after it cools, give it to your dog. He will enjoy it for a week. The ultimate happy dinner guest.

PhillyBear said...

Hi Chef! Another funny, informative video, thank you! A few years back I made my first leg of lamb and the recipe had instructions for deboning and removing some kind of gland in the leg. I recall it was pretty ominous: if left in, the gland could rupture and ruin the whole thing. I found it and removed it. So, I was just wondering: was that removed from your lamb by the butcher or is it simply nothing to worry about? Or maybe, this makes no sense at all...? Thanks again

Chef John said...

I'm happy to report that there are no glands you need to worry about doing this technique! :)

Pops said...

Chef John - lamb is my favorite meat and quite fatty throughout which butterflying reveals. In your video you neither trim the fat from lamb nor remove the fell. Do you feel that you will lose that much flavor and tenderness if you remove the fat and fell?