Why is no juice left after cooking lamb or beef joint in a pan?
When I have cooked a leg of lamb or a beef joint I end up with no juice in the pan. I end up using a stock cube. What am I doing wrong? I put salt pepper and oil on it before searing in a frying pan then put it in the oven.
Best Answer
The way you describe it, you seem to be doing it quite right.
So, let's have a look at where juces in a pan come from and where they might go:
- Any juice in the pan comes either from the meat or from added liquids (like wine).
You actually don't want your meat to loose it's water - that's what we call dry meat ;-) A small amount is fine, if you lose nothing, you a) obviously used good quality and b) did everything right with the searing. - If your meat exudes liquid during roasting but afterwards nothing is left, it has evaporated. That ist especially likely when using a convection oven.
If you want gravy you could either
- Add some liquid like broth, wine, port or even water (whatever goes with your type of meat and your personal preferences), spices (peppercorns, clove, bay leaf, allspice...) and a mirepoix when roasting your meat. Place the seared meat either in the liquid or on a rack above it to catch any drippings (which might not be much). Scraps from your meat / bones could go in, too.
- Make it separately (even beforehand!) from bones and veggies.
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Quick Answer about "Why is no juice left after cooking lamb or beef joint in a pan?"
Why deglaze. While you are roasting or pan-frying beef or lamb, the heat will have made some of the juices ooze from the meat. As you continue to cook the meat the moisture in this these meat juices will evaporate, leaving a residue in the base of the pan.Should roast beef juices run clear?
How do I check these meats are properly cooked? When you pierce the thickest part of the meat with a fork or skewer, the juices should run clear.How do you get the juice out of beef?
Letting your steak stand for about five minutes after you cook it will allow the juices, which are pushed towards the centre of the cut under heat, to be redistributed and reabsorbed throughout the meat. This way, your steak will lose less liquid when you cut it, leaving you with less 'blood' on your plate.What can you do with juice from cooking meat?
Why You Should Save Meat Juices and DrippingsWhat is in meat juice?
The juice is a mix of water and myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein within the muscle. Most meat is made of 5% fat/carbs/minerals, 20% protein, and 75% water. When you freeze the meat, that water expands and turns into ice crystals.How to Make the Perfect Gravy - Simply Beef and Lamb
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