Dear Customers,
With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, sales of corned beef – both rounds and flats – were better than usual. I guess it could be attributed to people having the day off and having more time to putter around the kitchen. Most years, when the holiday falls mid-week, the majority of people are reduced to using a slow-cooking crock pot which produces a tender meal pretty much all on its own!
Now, in the second half of this, the third month, we turn our attention to Easter Sunday which falls on the last day of March this year. It’s relatively early comparatively, seeing as how Easter can fall anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th, a span of some 5 weeks. March 31st is definitely on the early end of our window of opportunity.
Without giving away any secrets (sale prices), suffice it to say that we will be fully stocked with everything you’ll need for a delicious and blessed Easter celebration; hams, legs of lamb, candies galore and a beautiful display of potted Easter plants that not only look beautiful, but they also smell like Spring!
Personally, I have never relished eating lamb. I’ve had it, but I can’t get the picture of that cute little face out of my mind. The same goes for rabbits and squirrels! Ironically, I don’t have that same hang-up when eating pork, chicken or beef! Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know they have faces too, but they just don’t cause me the same angst!
While most people around here opt for ham on Easter, much like they’d choose a turkey for Thanksgiving. If you’ve never tried a roast leg-of-lamb, you might want to consider it. They’re available as boneless or bone-in. There are two popular methods for cooking lamb. You can either oven-roast it until the internal temperature is about 130°F which leaves a blushing pink interior. Or, you can slow cook it for several hours until the meat is tender and falls apart – 175°F internal.
Leg O’ Lamb is a cut of meat that really benefits from a nice spicy garlic rub. There are multiple delicious recipes on the internet, so rather than me pick one here, I’ll urge you to choose one that appeals to your taste and that of your family!