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Pan Fried Lamb Leg Steaks with Balsamic Vinegar

Pan-fried lamb leg steaks finished in butter, garlic and rosemary with a splash of balsamic vinegar that you can cook just as you like them!

I don’t like to tell people how they should like their meat cooked, so I have provided timing for everything from medium-rare through to well done for these steaks.

Overhead pan-fried leg of lamb steaks served with pea "salsa" and fried new potatoes.

Pan Seared Garlic and Rosemary Lamb

I love lamb in all of it wonderful guises, it has such and incredible flavour and I so often choose it over beef.

Everything from the majestic Barnsley chops, to minted lamb shanks and the offaly bits that I use in my devilled kidneys on toast recipe or pan fried lambs liver.

That’s before I’ve mentioned the myriad of Indian-influenced lamb recipes that I have on my site which range from the classic lamb pasanda through to tandoori lamb chops with a couple of dozen other options too.

My latest offering consists of some quickly pan-fried lamb leg steaks with garlic rosemary and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

They are full of flavour, and take less than 20 minutes to cook (including resting time).

There are no special skills on show here just some really simple cooking in a hot pan. A generous basting of butter turns those flavours all the way up to 11 and deliver wonderfully juicy perfectly cooked lamb.

Close-up pan-fried leg of lamb steaks served with pea "salsa" and fried new potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use boneless lamb steaks?

Yes, but they will not keep their shape as well as bone-in lamb steaks. You also don’t get to pick the marrow from the bone which is wonderful!

Where should I buy my lamb steaks?

I would urge you to buy them from the butchers, supermarket lamb steaks are often horribly thin.

They are also packed to meet an overall “pack size, which often leads to differently sized steaks which are difficult to cook accurately.

A butcher will often cut you two pieces of meat to your specification, ask for some around 20mm or around ¾” thick.

What internal temperatures should I cook my lamb steaks to?

I’m fairly vocal in my support of people eating the food the way they like it. I cannot abide people that belittle others for wanting their meat cooked differently from them.

The timings in my recipe at the lower end will produce lamb cooked at the lower end of medium rare, at the upper end they will produce meat that is just about well done. If you cook them for less time the fat will not crisp or render and will be chewy.

If you want to use a meat thermometer here are the internal serving temperatures to look for. You should remove the meat 5-7°C lower than these temperatures as the meat will continue to cook whilst resting:

  • Medium Rare: 60-63°C (140-145°F), remove at 53-56°C (127-133°F).
  • Medium: 64-68°C (147-154°F), remove at 57-61°C (135-142°F).
  • Medium Well: 69-73°C (156-163°F), remove at 62-66°C (144-151°F).
Pan-fried leg of lamb steaks served with pea "salsa" and fried new potatoes.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my pan-fried lamb leg steaks here with my pea salsa recipe and a few fried new potatoes, but they are wonderfully versatile and work with a host of side dishes.

Polenta is a particularly good side dish with these, either as a wet polenta “porridge”, or as fried polenta chips.

Seeing as I have mentioned chips, it would be remiss of me not to mention potato chips. You could either rustle up some properly fried chip shop style chips or some air fryer chips.

The pea salsa that I mention above works with all of the aforementioned recipes. But, if you want something even easier and something a little more minty, then check out my crushed minted peas!

If you want to add a little salad on the side I would choose a simply dressed green salad.

Close-up overhead pan-fried leg of lamb steaks served with pea "salsa" and fried new potatoes.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Hob/stovetop.
  • 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
  • Spoon for basting the meat with butter.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Kitchen tongs.
  • Weighing scales or measuring spoons.
  • You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the lamb if you like. See my Frequently Asked Questions section for temperatures.
Yield: 2 Servings

Pan Fried Lamb Leg Steaks Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

These pan-fried garlic and rosemary lamb steaks are wonderfully juicy and tender and will go from your fridge to your table in right around 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 (Around 250g or 8oz Each) Bone In Lamb Leg Steaks
  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
  • 50g (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions

  1. Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves.
  2. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems, add them to the garlic and finely chop them together.
  3. Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a high heat and when it is hot add the oil.
  4. Season the lamb with the salt and pepper, and add them presentation side down in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
  5. Flip them over and let them sit for 2 minutes, then add the butter, chopped garlic and rosemary, then cook for another 2-4 minutes basting constantly with the butter.
  6. Using a pair of kitchen tongs crisp up the skin of the lamb, then add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a final minute or so basting constantly.
  7. Remove the lamb and allow it to rest for at least 3-4 minutes (up to 7 or 8) covered with foil.
  8. Reheat the balsamic and butter mix (adding the resting juices from the lamb) when you serve and drizzle a little of it over the meat.

Notes

The longer that the lamb steaks cook in each phase the more cooked they will be, the lowest times result in medium rare lamb steaks if you use lamb steaks that are around 20mm ( just over ¾") thick. The longest times result in lamb steaks that are just about well done.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 643Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 806mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 48g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

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