Pure Bred Lamb
Ingredients are either exceptional or they’re not. That’s the maxim of Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, and we happen to agree, especially when it comes to sourcing something as spiritually symbolic as lamb for spring consumption. Sure, there’s plenty of lamb on your supermarket shelves, but why settle for mediocre meat on the verge of expiration when you can truly elevate your next ovine roast to something spectacular? This is where Pure Bred becomes savior.
Pure Bred is a partnership between Elysian Fields Farm in Pennsylvania and Chef Keller, who uses Pure Bred lamb for such vaunted restaurants as Per Se in New York City and Napa’s The French Laundry. All its livestock is exclusively raised on grass, hormone-free grain and a specific selection of nutrient-rich hay. Additionally, Pure Bred assigns an alpha-numeric designation to every last sheep, monitoring its health and feeding regimen. The cuts are available online at purebredlamb.com.
Never mind that “spring lamb” is a confusing, outdated term going back to old agrarian cycles. Lamb born in spring isn’t actually consumed until the summer and the lamb we eat in the spring was raised in the fall and winter. Today, lamb is in steady supply all year, and Pure Bred’s rearing is consistent no matter the season, so you can prepare it for your spring-time feast and call it whatever you like. When you do, we suggest ordering Pure Bred’s Frenched rack of lamb and serving it as a roast. Not only does the rack make for a regal presentation at the table, it cooks better as well, resulting in edge-to-edge pinkness and buttery tenderness.
For a bit of professional flare, Pure Bred offers its classic Persillade recipe on its website—an outer crust of breadcrumbs, parsley, butter and Dijon. As for the taste of Pure Bred’s lamb—well, if it’s good enough for Keller’s triple-Michelin-star restaurants, it’s probably good enough for you.
