Hunting through Mum’s recipes I found this Pumped Leg of Lamb recipe and it’s brought back lots of memories. Ham when I was a kid only came in cans and even then only on special occasions. On the other hand lamb was readily available and cheap and Mum always made it to have as cold meat a Christmas time. When cooked it had a vague ham look, taste and texture. This recipe was printed in the Herald Sun in, I think, the 70s, I don’t have Mum’s original recipe, but I’m sure it didn’t have red wine, orange juice and honey in it, Mum’s was a much plainer version.
Pumped Leg of Lamb is similar to corned beef. You can’t buy it off the shelf these days, but I’m sure a butcher would be prepare it for you, like corned beef the lamb is pumped with brine and you cook it the same was as corned beef. Not sure if you want to try it out, but it does bring back lots of memories to me of cold meat and salads on hot Australian summer days.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 
Big coincidence as I’ve been writing about my memory of the foods my mother cooked from 1941 to 1957. One meat was Pumped Leg of Lamb and my description and when we had it was almost identical to yours. I also remember Tongue with white parsley sauce when hot and sliced with gherkins for sandwiches or salads. Very tasty.
We also had pressed tongue with white sauce. I’m sure it sounds pretty dreadful to the modern generation, but ham was expensive and these substitutes were our Mums’ way of varying the family meal. Lots of great memories…………..
Women’s weekly had a great recipe for lamb dressed as ham using a pumped leg, where it was baked in a massive pastry case, then cracked out of the case for a finishing bake with a crumbed topping. My mum made it for a bunch of Christmases in the 80s
Hi Graham – that sounds delicious, but not something my Mum tried. Some of these old recipes are really worth have a go at again, aren’t they?
Absolutely. I tried this one myself for a couple of Christmases and it was pretty amazing. Sadly I lost the recipe somewhere along the way. If anyone has it, please comment!
This is the closest I could find online:
Mock Ham using Brined Lamb
Choose plump leg of lamb and have Butcher pump it well with brine solution.
Soak 1 hour in cold water, remove and dry, then smear slightly with mixed
mustard.
Roll 500g scone dough to 6 to 7cm thickness and mould this around leg.
Bake in moderately slow oven about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove scone mixture,
brush leg with melted butter, coat with browned breadcrumbs and stick with
cloves if desired. Allow to become quite cold before serving, cut in thin
slices.
I’m going to try it again soon. I’ll pump my own brine in a fridge drawer with a big syringe.
This sounds really delicious Graham and I think pumping the meat yourself is very brave. Hope it works out.
My mums was simple leg of pumped lamb, 10 cloves, 1 onion, 2 bay leafs, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and a splash of vinegar , cover the meat with cold water – mum used to say it stopped stinking cover and cook for around 2 hours depending on the size and she would add in another pot a cauliflower whole boiled for about an hour until cooked, then into a oven container, make white sauce or cheese sauce poor over the top add some cheese and brown, bring out when the top is brown and cover with foil and then rebake browning the sides and protecting the top from burning..
We never had lamb. It was always pumped silverside, cooked as JKL mentions (cloves, bay leaves, some brown sugar and vinegar, but a generous number of peppercorns as well). It was served with whole carrots and onions boiled with the meat, together with boiled potatoes and cabbage cooked separately, and all dressed with mustard sauce. The piece of meat was very big, so then there were cold slices of the meat as a meal during the week with hot vegetables or salads depending on the season. It was not our (the kids) favourite meal but was one of the basics that appeared regularly on the table – every month or so.
Mum used to make silverside (corn beef) for us as well. We all liked it and especially the leftovers next day either with a salad or in sandwiches. I often make it as it’s still a family favourite. The pumped leg of lamb was really only made at Christmas or on special occasions. I haven’t made it in a long, long time. It’s not a cut of meat that you see these days, but I’m sure if you wanted to make it a butcher would be able to prepare it for you.
This is a variation my !um used to make. Delicious!
Mock Ham using Brined Lamb
Choose plump leg of lamb and have Butcher pump it well with brine solution.
Soak 1 hour in cold water, remove and dry, then smear slightly with mixed
mustard.
Roll 500g scone dough to 6 to 7cm thickness and mould this around leg.
Bake in moderately slow oven about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove scone mixture,
brush leg with melted butter, coat with browned breadcrumbs and stick with
cloves if desired. Allow to become quite cold before serving, cut in thin
slices.
I’m going to try it again soon. I’ll pump my own brine in a fridge drawer with a big syringe.
I remember it well. Pumped leg of mutton was all the go., as spring lamb was just not affordable in those days. I still get it from the butchers, but have to order it.. I am now educating my Daughter & her Hubby to buy it. They now know just how nice it is, & will be having it from now on.. Cheers.!
It is not too long ago that I was able to buy a pumped leg. I sometimes do silverside in my Weber, so did my pumped lamb that way. It turned out beautifully, and was really like ham. You do not see pumped legs these days, but you can order from any butcher. I often smoke chickens in my Weber. I have. Large syringe, and pump them with brine with that, And sometimes hive them an hour or so in brine. I will have a go at doing a lamb leg that way. I do not see why goat would not be as good as well.