Lamb Recipes for Easter and Beyond

March 22, 2017 by Jason Loper

One of the meals most often associated with Easter is a traditional lamb roast. In fact, there’s a long history of lamb dinners for Easter. According to History.com:

“The tradition of eating lamb on Easter has its roots in early Passover observances before the birth of Christianity. According to the biblical Exodus story, the people of Egypt suffered a series of terrible plagues, including the death of all firstborn sons. Jews painted their doorposts with sacrificed lamb’s blood so that God would “pass over” their homes while carrying out the punishment. Accustomed to eating roast lamb on Passover, Jews who converted to Christianity continued the tradition at Easter. Additionally, Christians refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” so it makes sense that the food shows up at the Easter table. On a less symbolic note, lamb would have been one of the first fresh meats available after a long winter with no livestock to slaughter.”

While lamb might be most associated with Easter, it’s the perfect red meat for any day of the year. These eight recipes go beyond the usual racks and roasts to give you options for everyday meals.

Lamb with Hoisin Cabernet SauceWhen east meets west, the results are delicious. The rich Hoisin Cabernet marinade draws out the flavor of roast lamb.

Roasted Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri Sauce: Lamb chops get an Argentinian twist when they’re served with green chimichurri sauce.

Jason Loper

Jason Loper is a self-professed doyen of the domestic arts. In other words, he hasn’t met a household project he hasn’t enjoyed tackling. His latest project is renovating a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed American System-Built Home in Iowa.