Serving spring lamb this Easter? Chef Jack Bristow of Nancarrow Farm in Cornwall recommends ditching the old faithful for the unctuous alternative of hogget cooked over flame, discovers Jo Rees
Spring’s brand ambassadors may be those fluffy lambs frolicking in fields and served at Easter Sunday lunch but chef Jack Bristow of Nancarrow Farm in Cornwall is on a mission to switch up the narrative.
‘Traditionally, spring lamb is associated with Easter,’ he explains, ‘but the reality is that lambs born in the spring aren’t ready for the table until late summer. Often, spring lamb is either imported or very young, which doesn’t give the meat time to develop its full flavour. That’s not the case with hogget.’
At the organic farm, the team have embraced the culinary and welfare benefits of hogget, which is lamb aged between one and two years old. The approach not only respects the natural rhythms of traditional farming, but it’s also a more flavourful and sustainable ingredient.
When Jack served hogget cooked over flame at last year’s Food Lifestyle Awards supper, we were blown away by its succulence and richness. So we asked him to tell us more about this alternative to lamb, and give our readers the low-down on cooking it at home.
Feasting suppers
The farm near Truro is renowned for its immersive dining experiences. Guests gather for seasonal feasts and Sunday lunches where produce from the farm takes centre stage. Hogget is a favourite both for its flavour and because it’s available all year round.
‘We use the whole animal,’ Jack explains. ‘It’s about honouring the process. Each part of the hogget is prepared differently to showcase its unique qualities. Legs and loins are cooked for tenderness, while shoulders and shanks are slow‑braised for a rich, unctuous texture. Everything, from stocks to sauces, is made in‑house using the same animal to create a seamless flavour profile.’
Slow‑grown and sustainable
The ethos at the farm is grounded in sustainability. Its flock of 80 sheep, which includes rare breeds like Black Suffolks, Cornish Longwools and Shropshires, is purely grass‑fed, the animals grazing on meadows and herbal leys that enhance the flavour of the meat.
‘Grass‑fed animals develop a distinct taste that’s clean and fresh,’ says Jack. ‘We avoid soy‑based feeds, which can dilute the flavour and accelerate growth unnaturally. Instead, we let the animals grow at their own pace, topping up free‑range grazing with hay (made from the meadows) during winter.’
The farm’s careful attention to detail continues at its on‑site butchery where traditional dry‑ageing techniques are used to intensify the flavour and tenderness of the meat. ‘It’s like reducing a sauce,’ Jack explains. ‘By removing moisture, you’re left with a more concentrated and flavourful product.’
Flame game
Unlike young spring lamb, hogget has a deeper, more robust flavour profile that lends itself beautifully to open‑fire cooking. It’s an approach that Jack has made the core of his culinary approach.
‘We cook it over wood, or charcoal we’ve made from wood on our land. We don’t want to overpower it with smokiness; we just like to get a nice char as the natural sugars of the meat start to caramelise.’ Then it’s cooked low and slow before the all‑important resting phase.
‘The biggest thing for me is the resting. A rule of thumb is that the meat should be rested for equal, if not double, the cooking time. We also cook it a lot less than you’d think. If we want meat that’s medium, we cook it so it’s just rare and then rest it for an hour. That way it finishes cooking and relaxes, which is how you get the tenderness and flavour – as the meat loosens, it reabsorbs the juices.’
A cut above
Which cuts of hogget does Jack recommend the home cook try?
‘A shoulder or leg of hogget are quite big joints, so you could buy a half joint or a whole joint that’s been boned and rolled, so there’s no bone in the middle. That’s nice eating and easy to carve.
‘The great thing is that the bigger the joint, the more flexibility you have with the cooking time. If you cook it for a few minutes too long or too little, it’s still going to be pretty close to how you want it.’
All fired up
Cooking hogget at home over flame might seem daunting, but Jack’s advice makes it pretty doable on a home barbecue – as long as it’s got a lid.
For a classic roast, he recommends seasoning the joint a few hours prior to cooking to let the salt penetrate the meat, then searing it on a hot barbecue or in a pan until it starts to caramelise.
Once coloured, he advises moving the joint to an area of the barbecue not directly over flame and cooking with the lid on.
‘You want the meat to fall off the bone,’ he says. ‘So low and slow is the way to go.’ Low and slow isn’t as time consuming as you might think. Jack says: ‘We would cook a leg of lamb in about an hour: 15 minutes of searing and then, once it’s got a nice colour all the way round it, about 45 minutes on a low heat.’
Storming sidekicks
At Nancarrow, Jack pairs hogget with simple, seasonal accompaniments that enhance its natural flavours, such as a kitchen-garden dressing made from fresh herbs and apple cider vinegar to cut the richness of the meat.
‘Acidity is vital,’ he explains. ‘It balances the fat and refreshes the palate. Whether it’s a garden-herb dressing or a salsa verde, the goal is to complement the hogget, not overpower it.’
Side dishes are usually made from produce grown on the farm, and number sidekicks like charred root vegetables, creamy gratins and vibrant salads.
Who’s up for joining us in switching up the old fave for a new Easter tradition?
READER OFFER
Hog in a Day
This spring, the Nancarrow team are launching a series of events called A Day At Nancarrow. Each session sees a small group spending a day learning how food is produced using nature-friendly and regenerative techniques, getting hands-on via workshops then tucking into a hearty lunch. The first, on Thursday April 10, focuses on hogget. Learn basic butchery skills and use produce from the gardens to make stuffing and sausages before sitting down to a lunch of stuffed hogget leg.
Food Lifestyle readers can enjoy ten per cent off the ticket price of Hog in a Day when they book using the code hogget10 at nancarrowfarm.co.uk/a-day-at-nancarrow
Share Going the whole hogget with your friends
