Lamb is mainly composed of protein but also contains varying amounts of fat.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of roasted lamb provides the following nutrients:
- Calories: 258
- Water: 57%
- Protein: 25.6 grams
- Carbs: 0 grams
- Sugar: 0 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Fat: 16.5 grams
Protein
Lamb is primarily composed of protein, like other types of meat.
Providing all nine essential amino acids your body needs for growth and maintenance, lamb meat is a high-quality protein source.
Fats
Lamb contains varying amounts of fat depending on how much of it has been trimmed away, as well as the animal’s diet, age, gender, and feed. Lamb tallow also contains a family of trans fats known as ruminant trans fats which are believed to be better for the health.
Vitamins and Minerals
Lamb is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. These are important for various bodily functions.
For today we are going to propose you a recipe you will absolutely enjoy:
Spanish Lamb with Sherry, Honey & Peppers
Ingredients:
- 1kg lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, then cubed
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 1 green pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée
- ½ tsp paprika
- 250ml medium sherry
- 250ml lamb stock
- generous pinch of saffron threads
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, or chopped toasted blanched almonds
- cooked couscous, to serve
Preparation:
- Make sure your lamb isn’t too damp – pat it dry with kitchen paper if you need to, otherwise it won’t color well. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole dish and brown the lamb over high heat in batches (if you crowd the pan the meat will sweat and not brown). Remove with a slotted spoon as you go. When all the lamb is browned, add the remaining oil and cook the onion and peppers over medium heat until the onion is golden and the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for a further 1 min, then add the sherry and bring to a simmer.
- Put all the lamb back in the pan, along with the stock, saffron, sherry vinegar and honey. Season and bring to just under the boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pan and leave to cook very gently for 2 hrs, turning the meat every so often.
- In the last half hour of cooking time, remove the lid so that the sherry and stock can reduce. You want to end up with completely tender meat in a flavorsome gravy – how long this takes will depend on how wide your pan is so you may need to give it longer than 30 mins. Check the seasoning. You’re unlikely to need to adjust the vinegar or honey but you might want to sweeten the dish slightly. Scatter the parsley or almonds on top (or use both). Serve with the couscous.
Enjoy!