Lamb is well known and desired delicately around the world. The tenderness, the soft melting in mouthfeel can be hardly compared to any other meat. However, there are some questions about which way a lamb can be enjoyed at its best.
What cooking temperature will bring out the best possible taste and get rid of any pathogens. Let’s have a look at it.
Can lamb be eaten rare?
Lambs need to be cooked at a certain temperature to get rid of all the pathogens. As long as the lamb is cooked at 140°F to 150°F (60°C-67°C), it will be safe to consume. Cooking lamb and keeping it pinkish or rare will be just fine to eat as long as the bacteria removal criteria are fulfilled.
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When a lamb is alive, its skin and several antibodies are there to fight off any pathogens. However, when the lamb is butchered and skinned the probability of harmful bacteria and parasites feasting on the exposed meat is alarmingly high.
So to get rid of the harmful pathogens and parasites it is essential to properly cook the meat. Around the world, meat is cooked at different temperatures trying to achieve unique tenderness and exotic taste.
You can have rare, medium rare, medium, medium-well, well-done lamb if you cook it at a certain temperature for a limited period of time.
When you are preparing a rare leg of lamb in your home or ordering rare lamb chops in a fancy restaurant the question may emerge in your mind about the safety regarding consuming a slice of meat cooked so lightly.
To get rare lamb chops you would need to cook them at a low temperature for a particularly short time.
The pinkish rare texture of the meat would be safe to consume as long as it’s cooked at 140°F or higher. So rare lamb can be eaten if you can successfully get rid of the pathogens by cooking them at a high temperature.
Is it safe to eat lamb rare?
You would need to cook the lamb at least 140° to 150°F to get rid of all the harmful pathogens. However, cooking rare lamb needs to be done at a low temperature for a short period of time.
So the risk of not completely getting rid of the lethal pathogens may hunt you. It would be best to go for a medium-rare lamb chop, it would be cooked for an extended period of time compared to the rare lamb version.
However, if you can successfully get rid of all the pathogens then eating a rare lamb won’t pose any threat to you.
Can lamb be eaten medium-rare?
When it comes to cooking and eating lamb you can rely on medium-rare. It possesses a unique tenderness and the spices and meat get enough time to cook to achieve a crisp taste. A rare lamb may taste raw to some people or some may be too skeptical about the safety issue of eating a rare lamb.
However, cooking a lamb for too long or eating a well-done lamb may not be preferable for a large number of people as the meat loses its tenderness if cooked for a long time.
So, medium rare is the safest and most tasty option one can choose. Now about restaurants serving medium-rare lamb burgers, they are safe to eat. If you trust the restaurant is following all the safety regulations and the bun, lettuce and all the ingredients that go in a burger are safe then you have nothing to worry about. Although it would be much healthier if you cook it yourself.
Can lamb be eaten:
Medium well:
lamb will sustain its tenderness and will have sufficient time to absorb all the herbs and spices put in the mix if you are cooking or eating a lamb at medium-rare. The light pinkish Medium rare lamb chops will be quite delightful to taste, you can also have medium-rare lamb burgers slowly smoked in bbq.
You might be a little skeptical about cooking meat at low temperatures or looking at the pinkish flesh of medium-rare lamb chops but rest assured medium-rare lamb is safe and will be a delicious meal to savor. It will be a better choice than eating rare lamb.
Undercooked:
It is not safe to consume an undercooked lamb, actually it’s recommended never to eat undercooked egg, fish, meat, or any other source of protein. Bacteria and parasites have a high tendency to feast on raw meat and fish. If not cooked properly the harmful pathogens will not be eradicated.
You need to cook your meat at 140° to 150° F to completely get rid of all the harmful pathogens. Undercooked meat won’t bring any joy to your taste buds and may lead to an unpleasant gag reflex or may cause you to vomit. So go for a medium-rare or medium version while eating meat.
Raw:
Usually people don’t even think about eating raw lamb. Raw meat contains lots of pathogens and harmful parasites, cooking at a high temperature for a long period of time is able to completely remove any presence of harmful pathogens. Eating raw lamb can cause food poisoning, bloating and may cause severe damage to your overall health.
However, if you are stuck in a life and loss situation and if you have a live lamb at your disposal then you have no better option but to consume raw meat and fresh raw meat is pretty safe to eat. Don’t eat any animals that lost their lives in the road or jungle if you don’t know what was the cause of life loss.
How should lamb be cooked: rare, medium, or well-done?
When it comes to cooking lamb it’s better to go for medium-rare or medium. Keeping it rare may make some people skeptical and anxious about the safety and it may not be a preferred choice for some.
Having a Well-done lamb may be a safe bet but you are surely gonna miss the tenderness and pure essence of the lamb, it might be a little bit hard to chew.
So if you want to enjoy the tenderness of the lamb meat and don’t want to lose the essence of lamb then always try to go for medium-rare or medium, these are the safest bet when it comes to eating lamb.
How do you know lamb is cooked?
Usually, you can tell by the look and the softness of the lamb if it’s cooked or not. Generally, it takes 20 to 30 mins to cook the lamb. If you cook the lamb for a long time, it will become hard over time and lose its soft tender flavourful taste.
- A rare lamb would take 20 to 25 min to cook, it will have a red appearance and feel very soft. You might get red blood like meat juice out of a rare cooked lamb.
- Medium rare lamb will take almost 30 minutes to cook. Meat would have a light red appearance. It will feel soft yet a little bit springy.
- Medium lamb will take 35 minutes to cook and it will have a pinkish or slightly red appearance. It will have a springy and spongy feel.
- Well done lamb needs to be cooked for 40 minutes, it will be blackish Brown in color. It would be firm and a little bit chewy.
How pink Should lamb be?
An uncooked or barely cooked lamb wouldn’t look too much different from the raw meat. If you are aiming for a rare lamb it should have a deep red or deep pink appearance. The more it will get cooked the more brownish it would be.
You can always go for a light pink or whitish red lamb as it represents the medium-rare or medium cooked lamb.
Should lamb be bloody when cooked? Can lamb be eaten bloody?
It is normal to have a lamb with bloody liquid while cooking. Most of it is not blood, the fat and water stored in meat get released while cooking. If you are eating a rare, medium-rare, or medium-cooked lamb you are most likely to get most of the fat and liquid or the meat juice preserved in the meat, it will be normal to have meat juice.
However, if you feel something isn’t right or the meat is rare and having a bit too much fluid stored then you can avoid eating it.
Can cooked lamb be eaten when cold?
After cooking a lamb needs to be at rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Now about keeping the meat in the fridge, you can keep it for 2 or 3 days after cooking. If you have a freezer then you can safely store cooked meat for almost 30 to 50 days.
However, many trivial people smoke the meat and carry it along with them as a snack for their journey. Cooked lambs stay safe to eat for a long time.
Final thoughts:
Cooking lamb rare is only good, as long as the requirements for elimination of pathogens are met.In order to eliminate any germs, the lambs must be cooked at a certain heat. The lamb may be consumed safely while it is cooked in a temperature of between 140°F and 150°F (60°C and 67°C).