Lamb Steak

When I was a kid, I wasn't a big fan of lamb. To me, there was something a little bit gamey about the flavor of the meat. I changed my mind, though, as I got older.

My absolute favorite flavoring for lamb is Penzey's Lamb Seasoning. It's one of their blends of herbs and spices. I love it because it doesn't pretend to disguise the flavor, it just enhances it in the very best way.  Before lamb became so costly, I once grilled a leg of lamb, heavily doused with Pensey's Lamb Seasoning, and it was great.


So when I longingly ogled the $50 and $60 lamb legs at my grocery store this week, I spied something called a lamb steak.

Now, being a little bit snarky by nature, I immediately assumed that it's the lamb industry's clever way of enticing lamb lovers like me who just can't justify spending so much for a leg of lamb anymore.

Rub with Penzey's Lamb seasoning

The cut has a tiny bone in it, and it's only about one inch thick, sort of like a beef steak. I had my doubts, but I gave it a shot. Since the steak is so thin, it cooks very quickly on a pan. Terrific for a special weeknight dinner. We made a big salad that included flavorful fresh raspberries, quinoa, and chopped walnuts, and laid the lamb slices on top. It was delicious.

Lamb Steak

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt
finely ground black pepper
Penzey's lamb seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse steak and pat dry. Use a fork to prick holes in it on both sides. Spread one tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar on each side. Dust with sea salt and pepper and rub on the meat on each side. Finally, shake a generous amount of Penzey's lamb seasoning on each side and rub into the meat. Refrigerate for about 40 minutes. Remove meat from refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking so it will lose the refrigerator chill.

Warm a large pan over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and heat until a drop of water sizzles. Add the meat and cook until the sides have lost most of their pink color. Flip and cook on the other side until the interior is pinkish red, but not raw. Remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes before slicing into thin pieces. (Note: take care not to overcook or it will become tough.)