Cute Lamb Content Alert

We have found ourselves at this time of year once again.

It’s that time when we round up all the sheep and carefully give the young ones an ID tag to ensure they are easily recognisable.

It's also the moment in the calendar when you realise if your breeding program has truly been efficient and successful.

The time of year when your hands turn black with lanolin and dirt (though it’s mainly dirt) serves as a testament to the hard work we put into our farm each season.

And, of course, it’s the time when you go gaga over the adorable little lambs—so incredibly cute and full of life.

I thought you might like to be in on the action, so here are a couple of photos capturing the joy of the day.

(I would have liked to take more photos for you but, as you can see, my hands were full)

Steph

What our Regeneratively Farmed Whole Lamb Pack looks like

I get a few questions on the package of our produce. 

None of us like getting things home to find our shopping has leaked through the bag and it's all over everything and the car boot as well. Yuck

Instead, we love to have the confidence that when we open the box, everything is neat and clean, presentable and appetising.

The hardest part for you will be deciding which delicious cut you are keeping out for dinner that night, and the rest can slip neatly into your freezer.

Here is a little video I took last month when I was packing a whole lamb for one of our wonderful customers.

Check out how neat it is AND the size of those roasts. Whoa.

This time I will be cutting the roasts in half to make it a bit more manageable but still, what a great deal. 

This whole lamb will provide his family with nourishing clean protein for the month ahead. 

Topside Roast recipe with Herbs and Veggies

INGREDIENTS

• SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1.2 kg Regenerative Farms topside roast

12 French shallots, peeled, halved

3 large carrots, peeled, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1/4 cup fresh herbs (we used thyme, rosemary, oregano), finely chopped

1 1/2 cups (375ml) beef stock

1/2 cup (125ml) red wine

800g potatoes, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces

20g butter, cubed

1/3 cup full-cream milk

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

Steamed sugar snap peas and home made gravy, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 240°C (220° fan-forced).

2. Arrange shallots and carrots in a large roasting pan. In a small bowl combine oil, garlic, mustard and herbs. Season, stir to combine and spread over beef. Place beef on top of vegetables and pour stock and wine around the base.

3. Place beef in oven and reduce heat immediately to 200°C (180° fan-forced). Roast in oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until cooked to your liking, covering top of roast with foil if over browning. Remove roast from oven, set beef aside on a tray and cover with foil. Rest for 15 minutes. Return vegetables to oven for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Season. Mash with butter and milk until smooth. Stir through parmesan.

5. Slice beef and serve with shallots, carrots, parmesan mash, sugar snaps and gravy.

Roasts can sometimes easily dry out, but the herb crust will keep it moist and delicious. 
For even more accurate results, I recommend using a meat thermometer. They are easy and accurate for the perfect doneness.
Here is a guide to help make it flawless.

• Rare 60°C

• Medium rare 60–65°C

• Medium 65–70°C 

• Medium well done 70°C 

• Well done 75°C

Always remember to rest your meat after cooking. For a roast, rest it for 10-20 mins before carving.
The meat will continue to cook while resting so take it out 3°C to 6°C  below your ideal doneness.

HOMEMADE GRAVY

In a pan, add a generous knob of butter and melt. (if you like, at this stage you can add chopped onions and/or mushrooms and soften)

Add a table spoon of plain flour and stir with a whisk to get a smooth paste. Be careful not to burn it.

When its smooth and has a bit of colour, add your pan juices a little at a time and keep whisking so no lumps form. You can use the back of a spoon to flatten out any lumps if you need to.

Add the pan juices until you get the desired consistency. note: It will thicken on sitting so add a little more than you think.

Season to taste and serve immediately with your delicious roast dinner.

TIPS

1. The herb crust will work well on any of our beef roast cut.

2. Use any combination of fresh herbs you like for the crust.

3. For a creamier mash, add more milk.

Thanks Australian Beef for this recipe