Simple Spanish Food

Sources in the U.S.A. for cordero lechal (milk-fed lamb)?

José, a reader of Simple Spanish Food, has asked if we know of any U.S. sources for cordero lechal, milk-fed lamb (a.k.a. suckling lamb, baby lamb, spring lamb).

According to the Spanish food site Directo al Paladar, a cordero lechal is a lamb that has been slaughtered at around one month old. It weighs around 13 pounds (6 kilograms) and has consumed nothing but ewe's milk .   

Cordero lechal is prized in Spain because it is delicate in flavor and has none of the "gamey" taste of older lamb or mutton. Cordero lechal is also low in fat and very tender. In the picture above (credit to the article "Lechazo asado" from Wikipedia en español), you can see in the foreground uncooked sides of cordero lechal. Notice the light color of the meat. This light color is also typical of cordero lechal.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post on grilled lamb chops, whole roasted baby lamb, cordero lechal asado, is traditionally served on Christmas Eve in Spain, but it may also be served on any special occasion.  

In Spain there is also cordero recental, lamb slaughtered at around 30 pounds (15 kilos). Cordero recental has consumed grass and feed as well as milk.  It has a stronger flavor, higher fat content, and slightly darker meat, but it is still mild, low in fat, and tender by U.S. lamb standards.

Cordero pascual is lamb slaughtered between 4 to 12 months of age.   Cordero pascual has red meat, high fat content, and a pronounced "lamb" taste.

Almost all of the lamb available in the U.S. would be classified as cordero pascual in Spain.  Because there is such a big difference between cordero lechal and cordero pascual, one can't really substitute for the other.

Back to José's question: is there a source for cordero lechal here in the U.S.?

To my knowledge, no.

According to Wikipedia's article on lamb and mutton, milk-fed lamb is almost never available in the U.S. or the U.K.  It is considered to be uneconomical.  I have searched for cordero lechal with no luck.

I suspect it would be necessary to go directly to someone who raises lamb to obtain cordero lechal here in the U.S.  Baby goat, cabrito, may be easier to find. It's probably the best substitute. 

I will keep searching. If anyone knows a source in the U.S.A. for cordero lechal, please let us know.

Until then, cordero lechal asado is yet another reason to visit Spain. 

 

 

 

 

Grilled Lamb Chops for the Holidays? ¡Qué Va! (Chuletas de cordero a la brasa, o a la parrilla)

Whole roasted lamb (cordero asado) is a typical Christmas Eve dish in much of Spain.  If there aren't too many people eating,  half a lamb (split longways, nose to tail) may be roasted instead.  Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to cook a whole lamb, or even half of one, so I made lamb chops instead.

When Esperanza, my mother-in-law, sees this post,  she's going say, <<¡Qué va! ¡Eso es de cada dia!>> ("Get out of here! That's everyday food!")

True, lamb chops are ordinary fare in Spain, but I wanted to do a post on grilled lamb chops anyway. They're simple, easy, and very Spanish.  For a future holiday season I will roast the whole lamb. For now, it's lamb chops, chuletas de cordero.

You can cook these in a heavy skillet (I like cast iron), in which case your chops would be a la parrilla. Or you can grill them. Either way, they're great.

For this post I did them on a kamado (Big Green Egg).

 

When I grill or pan-fry chops, I turn them a total of 4 times.  In other words,  I quickly cook the chops twice  on each side. This ensures the chops are cooked evenly.

The chops are then allowed to rest for 8 to 10 minutes on a warmed plate.  During this time the chops are still cooking inside, so the rest is essential.

These cooking times are for chops about 1 inch thick.  

Here's how to do it:

Put however many lamb chops you want on a plate. Sprinkle them with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you're cooking them in a skillet, rub them down with a little olive oil.

Preheat your grill or your pan to medium-high, about 450 degrees.

 When the grill or pan is hot, put on the lamb chops.

Let them cook 2 minutes.

Turn the chops, and let them cook 2 minutes more.

Turn the chops again, and cook them--you guessed it--2 minutes.

Turn the chops one last time, and let them cook 2 minutes.

Got it? That's four turns, two minutes per turn, for a total of eight minutes cooking time.  This is for medium rare lamb chops.  If you like your chops well done, you might add 30 seconds extra per turn, for a total cooking time of 10 minutes.

Now remove the lamb chops from the grill or pan and place them in a warmed cazuela or plate. Cover them with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.  

When the ten minutes are up, your lamb chops are ready to eat.