Australia Day Recipes with Lamb (2024)

FAQs

Why do we eat lamb on Australia Day? ›

The campaign sought to position lamb as the 'national meat' on Australia Day in order to suggest an affiliation between lamb and the barbecues that are historically associated with the end-of-summer holiday.

Lamb chops

This is the most popular lamb dish that is loved by many people around the world. Lamb chops are delicious, tender pieces of meat that are usually grilled or pan-fried. They are often served with vegetables or potatoes.

This simply prepared (it's rubbed in a paste of just Dijon mustard, garlic, and herbs) rack of lamb is best served with equally unfussy vegetable sides, like grilled asparagus or baby artichokes.

“The country itself was conceived on the back of a sheep, our heritage emanates from lamb, so it only stands to reason that it would be our national dish, but more importantly it is also the most succulent and the most outstanding food piece,” he said.

Because so few states in America initially raised sheep, the cost for lamb meat would be higher than other meats. This cost barrier prevented many Americans from even trying lamb meat. This initial barrier has made it difficult for lamb meat to gain popularity in the US.

Britain, Australia, and New Zealand

Lamb — a young sheep which is less than one year old. From 1 July 2019, the Australian definition is "an ovine animal that: (a) is under 12 months of age; or (b) does not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear.

Nutrition: Lamb is a nutrient-dense meat that is rich in protein, iron, and vitamin B12. It is also lower in fat than beef and has fewer calories.

Ribs. Of course, the ribs are the number one cut of lamb. The elegant crowd-favorite lamb chops and rack of lamb come from the rib cuts. According to Cooks Illustrated, cuts from the rib, including rack of lamb and rib chops, contain less fat than other lamb cuts and taste sweeter and milder.

Fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt are simple but amazing flavors that pair amazingly with the lamb! Each of these ingredients adds its unique warmth and depth to enhance the flavor of the dish.

The dry heat of roasting is best for tender cuts of lamb, like the leg, rack, and loin. If you'd like to roast a cut like a lamb shoulder, go for a long, slow roast. If you're cooking a bone-in leg, keep in mind that because of the thicker and thinner portions of the cut you'll get a range of doneness.

How do you keep lamb moist when cooking? ›

All the lamb needs is a sprinkle of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil. Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart.

NAMES FOR AUSTRALIAN SHEEP MEAT

Lamb and mutton are terms used to describe the meat of sheep at different ages. Lamb is classified as an animal that has no permanent incisor teeth – generally around 12 months of age. Prime Lamb is a term used in Australia to generally refer to lambs that are raised for meat.

Like we mentioned, foreigners might be most familiar with Vegemite and kangaroos, while Aussies might have something entirely different in mind. In a nationwide survey launched by Continental to find out which dish was considered by most residents as “Australia's National Dish”, roast lamb was number one.

The typical meal served and eaten on the Australian dinner table would be a red meat dish with at least three or four different varieties of fresh vegetables. Whether it is rump, porterhouse or fillet, fried, grilled or barbecued, steak and vegetables is by far our most popular dish.

Grass-fed lamb is a significant source of omega-3 fats, a nutrient whose adequacy in the diet is associated with decreased risk of inflammation and possibly with reduced risk of heart disease. In addition, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is far better in grass-fed lamb than in the average U.S. diet.

By 2010 cultural habits had changed and a new tradition of eating lamb on Australia Day was embedded into Australian society. Lamb became to Australia Day what the chocolate egg is to Easter, or the turkey is to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Australia's new lamb definition is 'young sheep under 12 months of age or which do not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear'. The previous definition for Australian lamb was a female, castrate or entire male that has no permanent incisor teeth.

Lamb. There are so many different ways to enjoy lamb, and as the 'national meat' of Australia Day, it's a staple on any Aussie's BBQ menu! No Australia Day celebrations would be complete without the unmistakable flavour of high quality butcher lamb.