A quick and easy recipe that’s incredibly tasty, lamb leg steak is the perfect meal to make for the one you love.
With simple ingredients, minimal cook time and a flavor that’ll make you swoon, lamb leg steak has that rustic yet sophisticated charm that’s impossible to resist.
Products you need for this recipe
Here’s a list of kitchen items and ingredients that you need to make this lamb steak recipe:
- Cast iron skillet – when it comes to a good searing pan, only cast iron will do. You want a pan that can stand the heat, producing the sticky bits that come from searing the lamb in 5 minutes flat. This is where the magic is!
- Saucepan – you’ll need to simmer your shallots in a saucepan to soften them, before adding them to the frying pan.
- Balsamic vinegar – get a quality balsamic vinegar to bring a bit of sweetness and acidity to the lamb steaks sauce.
- Red wine – a good quality red wine really makes the difference to this lamb steak recipe. Go for something rich and full bodied.
- Beef stock – beef stock brings an extra richness to your lamb steaks sauce. You could also use lamb stock.
- Redcurrant jelly – an optional extra, redcurrant jelly will bring an extra dimension of fruit flavor to your lamb steaks sauce.
Lamb leg steaks in oven
You can also cook lamb steaks in the oven. It’s best to start lamb steaks on a very high heat, either on the hob or in the oven. Once they’re in the oven, cook them for 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
Lamb steaks grill
You could also cook lamb steaks under a medium grill. Cooking lamb this way is healthier than frying, although you won’t get the delicious succulent sauce.
Are lamb leg steaks tough?
Despite what a lot of people think, lamb steaks shouldn’t be tough.
Get your steaks to room temperature before you cook them and cook them hot and fast. Then they’ll be tender.
What wine goes best with lamb steaks?
Lamb is the ultimate spring-time meat and, however it is cooked, there is a real affinity with Merlot.
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The fast cooking in this recipe really enhances the flavors of the lamb. This makes it the perfect pairing with something rich and rounded, like Chateau Le Puy from Bordeaux.
Merlot dominates the blend and, thanks to careful grape selection and winemaking, there is a purity to the fruit – with notes of ripe cherries, raspberries and plums – flavors that naturally complement lamb.
Another great choice is a Cabernet Franc. Chinon is a village in the Loire Valley of France where red wine is produced using the Cabernet Franc grape. Cabernet Franc is a more rustic wine than the more popular and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon. So, for a simple lamb dish like this, it’s a great choice.
Cabernet Franc has a subtle blend of black and red forest fruits, which match the sticky shallots. It also has a soft black peppery finish that adds to the savoury, earthy quality, bringing out the flavor and meatiness of the lamb. Delicious!
What temperature should you cook lamb to?
Everyone’s got their own idea of when lamb is done to perfection. Here are the temperatures you should aim for, based on each level of doneness.
- Rare: 48-54°C (120-130°F)
- Medium–rare: 54-60°C (130-140°F)
- Medium: 60-66°C (140-150°F)
- Well-done: 66-74°C (150-165°F
If you haven’t already got one, you should definitely invest in a quality meat thermometer. It’s a great tool to have if you regularly cook meat.
More amazing lamb recipes
- Indian leg of lamb – if you’ve never had Indian leg of lamb, you’re in for a treat. It’s a spicy slow-cooked masterpiece!
- Lamb sloppy Joes – the perfect party food, these bad boys are bound to impress your friends.
- Lamb massaman curry – a heavenly Thai curry that’s hearty and intensely flavored, yet mildly spiced with cumin, bay leaves, star anise and nutmeg.
- Lamb shish kebab – for those who doubt you can have a healthy kebab, here’s your proof. The perfect demonstration of healthy fast food with big flavors. Best of all, it’s really quick to prepare.
- Slow cooker lamb shanks – this lamb steaks recipe is the ultimate Sunday lunch comfort food!
- Smoked leg of lamb – just one mouthful of this amazing recipe will be enough to have you hooked. When it comes to taste, smoked meat is in a different league and this is the perfect smoked lamb recipe for smoking newbies and experts alike.
- Lamb noisettes with rosemary sauce – when it comes to flavor pairings, few things go together like lamb and rosemary. Lamb noisettes are similar to lamb steaks, and this simple recipe is beautiful, elegant, full of flavor and very easy to make.
Competition Question: How would you prepare lamb leg steak?
Print📖 Recipe
Lamb Leg Steak with Shallots and Red Wine Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Lamb Leg Steak with caramelised shallots and sticky red wine sauce is the perfect romantic meal to serve for your loved one on Valentine's Day.
Ingredients
- 8 brown shallots, peeled and quartered but left whole at the root
- 2 lamb leg steaks, about 175g (6 oz) each
- 25g (1 oz) butter
- 60ml (4 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
- 175ml (6 fl oz) red wine
- 150ml (¼ pint) lamb stock
- 5ml (1 tsp) redcurrant jelly [optional]
Instructions
- Simmer the shallots in a pan of water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Season the steaks with a little salt and plenty of crushed peppercorns.
- Heat half the butter in a pan until sizzling, then cook the steaks for 3 minutes on each side for medium or until done to your liking.
- Remove the steaks and keep warm. While they rest, add the remaining butter to the pan, throw in the shallots, then sizzle in the sticky pan until starting to brown.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and bubble for a few minutes.
- Add the wine and boil down until sticky, then add the beef stock and simmer until everything comes together.
- If you like a bit of sweetness to your sauce, add the jelly and make sure it dissolves completely.
- Spoon the shallots and sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.
Notes
Serve with green beans and chips. Potato mash, broccoli and cauliflower cheese work as well!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 steak with half the shallot sauce
- Calories: 576
- Sugar: 18.3 g
- Sodium: 325.8 mg
- Fat: 24.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.2 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 39.6 g
- Cholesterol: 151.1 mg
Aileen
Cooked with rosemary and red wine
Ross Leech
With minted roast potatoes in the oven.
Kim M
I like lamb slo cooked with root veg, makes a lovely gravy x
Carolynn Woodland
Absolutely love your receipe with Shallots And Red Wine Sauce and this is the one for me.
Natalie Crossan
i would marinade it then grill it x
Patricia Barrett
I would slow cook them with lots of lovely seasonal vegetables.
sharon martin
i like mine grilled and served with gravy, mint sauce and mash potato
Kristie Metcalfe
I would grill my lamb steaks.
Robert McIntosh
I love lamb steak with a bramble and port sauce
Laura Pritchard
In a slow cooker with lots of root vegetables & gravy!
Mrs Theresa Thomas
I’d love it in a slow cooked Irish stew
Mary Baldwin
I am definitely going to try this. Usually I cook lamb leg steaks in the slow cooker in a form of Lancashire hotpot. Layer of potatoes in the bottom, then a layer of sliced carrots and leeks, followed by the lamb, then another layer of vegetables. I then put some stock and herbs in, then top with potatoes. Lastly a couple of sprigs of rosemary poked down the sides. Cook on slow for as many hours as you can. Easy to prepare the night before and then simply put the pot in the slow cooker and go to work and look forward all day to comingin to that delicious smell.
Keith Hunt
Marinated lamb steaks with barley salad
Emma Davison
I wouldn’t - I don’t like lamb!
Susan Hoggett
I'd love it in a slow cooked stew so it's nice and tender
Marie Rungapadiachy
I would make a Rogan Josh curry with it, slow cooked.
J Hann
We have just bought an electric bbq so would love to try lamb steaks recipe using that.
Erica Hughes
With some rosemary and shallots - cooked very slow
Richard Randall
On the griddle
Dobbin
Slow cooked definitely!
Kristyn Harris
I would season it with cumin, garlic and black pepper and pan-fry them over a low heat
Kirsty
I used this recipe this evening and it was lovely.
Jenny Barker
i always pan fry but am also trying this this weekend :0)
lynn neal
I would pan sear them with lots of fresh thyme!
Susannah
Fried - mainly so I can taste that delicious sounding sauce!
Kate Sutton
I would go a slow cooker in a red wine marinade
Charlotte Fogerty
I'd prepare this medium rare, topped with garlic and sprinkled with some chilli flakes.
Ollie
I'd do a tray back with some red onions and potatoes
rosalind
marinated in piri-piri and cooked in a little olive oil.
Mark Mccaffery
I would probably try braising it.
James Travis
I would grill it
Gayatri Gogoi
I would make lamb with a herbed green crust with mashed potatoes
Chantiece Bates
Love this recipe, have bookmarked to look back on at the future.
I'd have mine rare with lots of herbs and maybe a garlic oil or butter? Garlic should be on everything aahaha.
Ruth Harwood
This would be good sprinkled with a little chilli powder and herbs with mint and put in the oven for a good few hours on slow cook - yummy!!
JOANNE ROXBURGH
Thats made me so hungry,yum,im going to make this this week...
maria
I absolutely love lamb especially in a roast, I would try it in the slow cooker
pete c
though not tried it before I would try cooking it/them in a slow cooker
Tracy Newton
I would cook it in the slow cooker and serve with a mint sauce jus
Angela Kelly
In the oven with plenty of rosemary.
moth
I would sear it in a skillet
Jo Young
I tend to grill lamb steaks.
Joo Dee
flash fry them then slowly finish off in oven, sounds delicious!
Claire Driver
I would pan fry the lamb steaks with some butter and herbs and serve with lots of mint sauce and enjoy
Jan
I would grill it and serve with seasonal veg
Victoria Prince
I would you prepare lamb leg steak by seasoning and then baking in the oven
Amy bondoc
I do very similar to this recipe whenever I eat lamb leg steaks with the addition of loads of garlic!!
Nicola S
I'd barbeque them. The fat would help keep them moist. Drizzled with garlic and parsley butter and served with wedged or mashed potatoes, green beens, roasted baby tomatoes and mustard.
Rena Plumridge
I’d grill it and serve with mash,peas and gravy.
Kelly Y
This looks lovely. At home , we are always lazy and just grill it with rosemary.
Beki Lacy
I do mine with a mint and salt crust!
Angie McDonald
Slow cooked with mint sauce!
Peter Watson
I'd give it a big bashing and cover it in assorted herbs and garlic butter.
Brad Start
I like to cook it Greek style with olives and potatoes
Iain maciver
amazing indeed
Margaret Gallagher
Somedays just plain lamb roasted to perfection is all i need
Sam
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Darrel
Wow, this is delicious.
Thank you soooo much.
Darrel.
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks so much, Darrel. This recipe is a favourite in my house as well which I haven't made in ages!
Susan Jones
This recipe is DEFINITELY a “keeper”. OMG! It was sooo delicious, the sauce paired beautifully with the lamb.
michelle
thanks Susan!
Suzanne
I made this last night and it was AMAZING! It felt like a decadent restaurant meal and is definitely worthy of company you want to impress. I paired it with roasted brussels sprouts with Applewood smoked salt and I am looking forward to making it again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
michelle
you're welcome!! 🙂
Jason
Just made this for dinner for my wife and I. Absolutely loved it! Followed the recipe exactly except replaced the shallots with mushrooms as recommended, as we had none. Incredibly easy and tasty. Will definitely make this again.
michelle
Great to hear Jason. I am glad you like the recipe
Patrick
See this lamb dish today trying to find something different to cook
Wow 3 out of the 4 who had it loved it great tasting sauce with the lamb
It's on my list of keepers now
Thank you
Leon Skerritt
I was wondering whether anyone knew what is meant by Jelly?
Is it mean in the English or American usage? Thanks.
michelle
I understand why you're confused about jelly, Leon. In this case jelly refers to do the kind of smooth fruit jam/conserve that Americans pair with peanut butter, not the gelatine type.
Antony
Cooked this recipe loads. Best lamb steak and sauce wow,!!!!! We'll done Michelle .
Charlotte isobelle
This sounds delicious. Yummy sauce. I do like the old school mint with my lamb though and crushed potatoes mmm
Oriana
Just made this for lunch, with mushrooms and a bit of regular onion as had no shallots. Lovely sauce! Thank you
Lisa
Hi Michelle, absolutely love this sauce, it is sooo tasty! Do you think it would work just as well with lamb shanks cooked in the slow cooker?
Katie
My husband and I made this for dinner last weekend (with garlic and rosemary roasted Melba potatoes from our garden) and it was delicious!! We are making it again tomorrow but this time with parsnip puree as the side! 😀
Michelle
Truth be told, I only kept the roots in for photography purposes! When I don't cook for the camera I chop them off.
Jim
Hi Michelle, this really is a fantastic (and simple) recipe. I'm currently learning as much as I can and I was wondering what effect, aside from holding them together, leaving the root on the shallots had. I didn't do that when I cooked it as I've always been told to discard the root during prep - I'm assuming it's perfectly fine to eat?
Michelle
Hey Vicky, it sounds like you did a great job at improvising with ingredients you had at hand. Glad you like the recipe and thanks for letting me know!
Vicky Bartholomew
I used this recipe this evening. I didn't have shallots so I used some red onion and also added in some garlic and used the water I'd boiled them in to make the beef stock. Served with new potatoes (and a glass of red wine) and it was lovely - like the sweetness from the balsamic.
Georgie Thomas
Lovely sauce - needed some sweetness added. But I think its more suited to beef because it killed the delicate flavour of the lamb - I could've been eating any lean meat. Will definately try again with rump steak.
Allen
Brilliant recipe i made mine with cranberry sauce also and served it with fondant potato yum
Dominic
Taste great. I added rosemary and used cranberry sauce
Mr Bee
This is a great recipe, I do very similar to this recipe whenever I eat lamb leg steaks.
Sometimes if I don't have shallots, I use a red onions, a clove or two of garlic, add a bay leaf and a few pinches of crushed black pepper and the rest of the recipe is pretty much the same..
I always marinade the lamb too, with herbs, olive oil, a dash of balsamic and a clove of garlic either broken or crushed...
I serve with green beans, carrots and roast potatoes with herbs...
Great dinner every time...highly recommend...
Michelle
Many thanks for your comment, Mr Bee. I haven't come tried marinating my steaks yet but I'll give it a whirl next time!
Mr Bee
This is a great recipe, I do very similar to this recipe whenever I eat lamb leg steaks.
Sometimes if I don't have shallots, I use a red onions, a clove or two of garlic, add a bay leaf and a few pinches of crushed black pepper and the rest of the recipe is pretty much the same..
I always marinade the lamb too, with herbs, olive oil, a dash of balsamic and a clove of garlic either broken or crushed...
I serve with green beans, carrots and roast potatoes with herbs...
Great dinner every time...highly recommend...
Michelle
Jason: I’m so glad to hear you had success with this recipe. The sauce is so good we use it with different types of meat cuts, e.g. fillet/sirlion steak, minced beef patties, you get the idea. Happy eating!
Jason wood
Just cooked this meal and had with my girlfriend, it was delicious. Will defo cook this again, compliments to the chef!!!!!!
Michelle
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe and giving feedback, Mandy! It made my day. 🙂
Mandy
I did this last night - delicous.
Jeanne @ CookSister!
Oh wow, that looks wonderful - *love* the picture .
Stuart Honour
Has become a total favourite. Great recipe. Thanks
Ingrid
Wow! Your recipes all look amazing! Just bookmarked your site! Thanks!
nina
Stunning, like the idea of rare lamb steaks....An inviting plate of food!!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
That looks fantastic - can I order it when I visit? (LOL don't panic!)
Marisa
Another one bookmarked!
Gary
This is right up my street. Lamb leg steaks are so quick and easy to cook. Delicious!