Page 24 - March & April

22 MYROUSESEVERYDAY MARCH | APRIL 2013
W hile many cultures around the
world prepare their Eastern lamb
differently (the Greeks make
a soup from lamb innards, for
instance), in America we love
a good lamb roast. Paired with rosemary and garlic,
a bone-in or boneless leg of lamb is always a crowd
pleaser. A boneless leg, trussed and roasted, is a snap to
cook and carve (as is the boneless loin roast), although
many people prefer the bone-in version, since the meat
closer to the bone is often more tender, and the bone
can be reused to make a soup or stock. Speaking of
bones, don’t forget the lamb shank, which you can
braise all day, until the meat is fork tender and falling
apart. And, for a special treat, you might want to try
your hand at a rack of lamb, or even the king of lamb
dishes: the incomparably regal “crown roast.” Ask your
Rouses butcher to clean and French the ribs.
Ham on the Easter table just feels Southern. Spiral-
cut hams are always a great choice, since there’s no
carving involved, and they’re wonderful for leftover
ham sandwiches, not to mention saving that ham bone
for a pot of red beans. There are a variety of ways to
glaze and prepare boneless and bone-in hams, from the
old standbys Coke and Pepsi, to Rouses new exclusive
Abita Root Beer and Steen’s glazes. And what could be
easier than Rouses house-glazed hams, which are glazed
in-store with Rouses exclusive brown sugar honey glaze.
Ask the Butcher
I’ve heard the phrase “Frenching”
or “Frenched” used by butchers and
chefs, but I never knewwhat it meant.
The verb “to French” refers to
cleaning and dressing the rib rack
of an animal—usually beef, pork,
lamb or goat—in a fashion that was
made popular – you guessed it – in
France. The butcher uses his carving
knife to cut and scrape away the
bits of meat on and between the
individual ribs so that they stand
out, resulting in a particularly
fine-looking cut of meat. It doesn’t
really do much for the cooking of
the meat, or even its flavor, but
an expertly “Frenched” rib rack is
surely a thing of beauty.
Where does Rouses get the lamb
you sell?
We source our lamb from Mountain
States Rosen, a family of ranchers
and growers. All of the lamb and
veal are born and raised in the
United States.