“I don’t like lamb!” is how my middle son reacted to the news that we were having lamb for dinner.  It was a locally-raised, grass-fed lamb that we got through our CSA.  And for me it was the best part— the leg.  We roasted it in the oven for several hours at 250ºF until it was 135ºF internally and my husband made a delicious rosemary and red wine sauce. (Reduce red wine, veal stock then add garlic and rosemary until slightly thick. Pour into pan to get drippings too.)

Think we need to rotate it during cooking for more even color.

So, I knew it would be delicious but I didn’t know why my son announced this (or I should probably more correctly describe as “whined it”!) seemingly out of the blue.  We eat lamb fairly often, at least often enough for my kids to eat it without thought/complaint.  It seemed bizarre to us that he’d have an aversion to it suddenly.  I know many meat-eating adults who don’t eat lamb, mostly because they didn’t have it when growing up and it’s got a stronger flavor than beef.

If you notice what foods you will eat as an adult often have a root in what you were given as a child.  In the U.S. there aren’t many people I know that eat Marmite or Vegemite, but in NZ, England and Australia kids are brought up on it — on toast, in sandwiches, added to gravies, etc.  Having a kiwi mum I grew up on English Marmite here in Connecticut. My mother would scour the stores for the sticky, salty, strong malt extract from England.  At 16 I went to NZ for the first time to live with Mum’s friends and go to her old school.  I quickly switched to the NZ version (less sticky, less pungent and slightly sweeter) and also enjoyed Vegemite.  I bring it back whenever I’m in NZ or ask friends to bring me a jar when they visit.  And now, due to the earthquake last year, NZ’s Marmite is running out and there is a “Marmageddon” declared.  Anyway, my kids too like Marmite on toast.  It’s what they’ve been brought up on. If you introduce something when the kids are young enough, I believe they develop tastes for things that others, who haven’t grown up with it/them might think odd. 

Back to my son with the lamb… he cried when it was served.  We didn’t make a stink about it, it was on his plate and we just reminded him how tasty it was; eventually he tried it.  And he said, “Oh, I do like lamb!” and proceeded to eat all of his portion and then ask for seconds. 

 Middle son putting on more sauce

So, stay calm and give them lamb… or Marmite… or those pesky vegetables. 

We recently got our lamb and beef “shares” from our CSA/Shared Harvest.  The other day I mentioned the lamb burger my middle son initially whined about.  Today we had shoulder lamb chops.  My husband had made a marinade last night for them— olive oil, rosemary (from a friend’s garden), garlic, salt and pepper.  Simple, but oh such a wonderful combination of flavors that complement the lamb so well.  He grilled them over whole wood charcoal and served them with couscous and haricot verte (thin green beans). 

My middle son had said earlier that evening, after asking what was for dinner, that he didn’t like lamb because it was chewy, but I reminded him of the burgers and he instead helped my husband grill the meat and was very keen to try it.  My eldest also helped in the preparation of the dinner, plus he’s usually very good with most foods.  But the most surprising thing around dinner tonight was my youngest.  Not only was he wanting the lamb, he wanted my lamb. 

If you notice the kids usually have colored plates (blue, green) and adults have white, but tonight my son wanted the bigger piece of lamb. (Last night it was the plate with the largest portion of green beans.)One that hadn’t yet been cut.  So, I took what was meant to be his plate.  He was just so eager to eat the grilled chop that he didn’t want an already cut-up piece, he wanted the Fred Flinstone portion. Which also meant he had more couscous, which my eldest kept trying to steal.  

It was so funny and also so nice that they all loved everything on their plates with no whining in earshot!

Well, it happened again… my middle son ended up in tears when he found out was for dinner.  After we’d spent most of the late afternoon scouting out the best tree from the tree farm and cutting it down, we were just up for a quick meal.  We were having a hodgepodge of some leftovers—ratatouille and beef bourguignon that a caterer had made for a party I’d organized the night before.  My husband also made lamb burgers from the lamb delivery we’d recently gotten from the farm at which I “belong” to the CSA program. The lamb (and also beef) came frozen and it was wrapped in old fashioned butcher’s paper in different cuts— ground, chops, leg etc.  I’d defrosted the ground lamb originally to make meatballs, but didn’t get around to it.

So we knew my son wasn’t going to want to eat the ratatouille even though it’s full of vegetables he likes, but because they’re all mixed together. He was told he didn’t have to have any, but that wasn’t the only thing he was whining about— but the burgers.  My kids love lamb (and I know plenty of people who don’t like it) and I was rather surprised at his reaction.  He said it was because he “only likes hamburgers and cheeseburgers not lamb burgers!”  Ah. Well, my husband, who’d cooked them, easily coaxed him into trying just a taste.  From there it was hard to get him to stop! 

He not only liked it, he was eating it so quickly— it was still so hot he could barely eat it, but that didn’t put him off from blowing on it and getting it into his mouth pronto!  We served broccoli as our green vegetable (knew there wouldn’t be any complaints about that) and I hadn’t pushed the ratatouille.  I figure getting him to eat one thing he thinks he wouldn’t like is enough for one meal.  The other boys both loved the beef stew and my youngest son convinced my eldest to give him his lamb burger (they were mini burgers) because he too loved it. Next time I’m going to spice it up a bit by sautéing some onions and cumin and adding it to the meat.   Love lamb and cumin together.

I guess like many of my past posts I’m trying to share the same message.  You may be surprised that your child will actually eat something especially after they may have had a meltdown over it. It’s often my middle son who complains the most about any food (that’s mostly his personality) but he’s also a great eater who actually has a varied diet.  If it’s not just offered but actually given they often come around.

  s