How to clean lamb offal is an article I’ve wanted to bring to your attention for a long time because every time I’ve published a recipe based on offal, you’ve always asked me about it. The term ‘abbacchio’ is used only in Rome and refers to a sheep that does not exceed 13 lbs in weight, with delicate meat and without strong smells and flavors, because it has not yet started eating grass. From 15 to 26 lbs we talk about lamb, and from 29 lbs onwards it is in all respects an adult sheep. In these two cases, the meat is stronger in flavor and smell and is often washed with vinegar, soaked, and so on, but not in the case of the young lamb.
If you like lamb offal, then don’t miss the upcoming recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1 lamb offal
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
How to Prepare Lamb Offal
First, remove the liver, place it in a separate bowl, and then move on to the heart. Almost always it will be wrapped in a fatty membrane, remove it but leave the fat attached.
Remove the sweetbreads from the trachea, and clean both well by removing all the little fats attached to them. They should be free from any residue.
Now split the lungs in half, and also in this case, remove all the veins and little fats from both sides. In the end, you’ll realize that almost all of the offal can be eaten, because the waste is really minimal.
As a rule, meat should never be washed, and in this case, the procedure is the same. However, it may happen that the offal is particularly dirty: especially grass in the trachea. This can happen when the sheep is larger, meaning when it exceeds 13 lbs and is no longer a young lamb but a lamb. In this case, it should obviously be washed but also dried very well by patting it with paper towels.
Now that each organ is well cleaned, you can start cutting them into small pieces, placing them one by one in another bowl.
Finish with the liver, which should always be separated from the rest of the offal. This is because, no matter how you cook the offal, it should always be added last to the cooking, and for only 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
Now that your Lamb Offal is ready, you can cook it immediately.
Advice and Storage
Lamb offal can be kept for one to two days in the refrigerator, but inside an airtight container.
As with all meat, you should place it on the lowest shelf of the fridge, where the temperature is definitely the coldest.
Once cleaned and ready for use, the offal can also be frozen, but as I always recommend, defrost it slowly in the refrigerator and never at room temperature.
