Post by April B. on Feb 7, 2003 22:45:40 GMT -6
Info on lamb and Mutton
Selection and Storage
Color is a good indicator of age. The lighter the color, the younger the meat. Baby lamb should be pale pink. Regular lamb is pinkish-red. Ground lamb and small lamb cuts should be wrapped and refrigerated up to three days. Larger roasts can be refrigerated up to five days before using. Ground lamb can be tightly wrapped and frozen up to three months, while larger roasts and solid pieces can be frozen up to six months. Plan ahead: frozen lamb should be thawed in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Cooked lamb can be refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to three months. One 6-pound leg of lamb will serve between 6 and 8 people.
Grades and Cuts
The United States recognizes three categories of lamb, all based on age. Mutton, due to its age, is generally not considered "lamb," but is included in the chart here.
U.S. government regulations require that spring lamb be slaughtered between the beginning of March and the close of the week containing the first Monday in October. It is the most popular variety in America. Although American consumption of lamb pales in comparison to other countries, the U.S. does not produce enough lamb to satisfy consumer demand. Much of the lamb sold in the U.S. is shipped in frozen from New Zealand. Australia is another major lamb graphic exporter of lamb. American lamb is generally milder in flavor, since the sheep are grain-fed rather than permitted to free-range graze. The U.S. cuts are also generally larger and meatier.
The U.S. government further grades lamb based on the proportion of fat to lean meat. Prime is the top grade, followed in order by Choice, Good, Utility, and Cull grades.
US Lamb Grades
• Baby Lamb: Milk-fed lambs slaughtered at between 6 and 8 weeks of age. (Also known as hothouse lamb)
• Spring Lamb: Milk-fed lamb between 3 and 5 months of age.
• Lamb: Weaned on grass and under one year of age.
• Mutton: Sheep over 1 year of age, typically slaughtered by 2 years of age as a food source.
Lamb or Mutton?
Lamb is a sheep less than a year old, typically slaughtered between the ages of four and twelve months. Older sheep is called mutton and has a much stronger flavor and tougher meat that many find distasteful. Mutton was a cheap food source for the military, and it was often overcooked and dry. Many American servicemen had their fill of mutton, coming home to declare it off-limits in the family home. This may be another reason why lamb hasn't become more popular in the States.
Finest Kind
Lamb connoisseurs consider lamb pré-salé to be the finest in the world. The French term means "salty field," and is applied to lamb that graze on meadowlands on the salty shores of Brittany and Normandy. The grass that thrives on the salty land gives the lamb meat a delicate flavor. The most reknowned area for this lamb is near Mont-St.-Michel in France. You might want to question the chef if you find pré-salé lamb on the menu in the United States, as there is a good chance it is not authentic.
What are the "fell?" and "musk" glands?
The outer fat of lamb has a thin, papery covering called the fell. Some cooks like to remove the fell, claiming it adds a strong flavor. However, it does help in holding the shape of the leg together while roasting, as well as retention of juices and flavor. On larger cuts, I haven't noticed enough difference in flavor to warrant the extra work. On small cuts, you may wish to remove the fell before cooking.
The shoulders and leg joints may also still have the musk glands attached, if not removed by your butcher. These are large yellowish pieces that you might find unsightly. They are called musk glands because it was formerly thought they gave a musky off-flavor to the meat. This has been proved untrue, but you may wish to remove them for the sake of aesthetics. Most butchers removed the musk glands before marketing.
Selection and Storage
Color is a good indicator of age. The lighter the color, the younger the meat. Baby lamb should be pale pink. Regular lamb is pinkish-red. Ground lamb and small lamb cuts should be wrapped and refrigerated up to three days. Larger roasts can be refrigerated up to five days before using. Ground lamb can be tightly wrapped and frozen up to three months, while larger roasts and solid pieces can be frozen up to six months. Plan ahead: frozen lamb should be thawed in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Cooked lamb can be refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to three months. One 6-pound leg of lamb will serve between 6 and 8 people.
Grades and Cuts
The United States recognizes three categories of lamb, all based on age. Mutton, due to its age, is generally not considered "lamb," but is included in the chart here.
U.S. government regulations require that spring lamb be slaughtered between the beginning of March and the close of the week containing the first Monday in October. It is the most popular variety in America. Although American consumption of lamb pales in comparison to other countries, the U.S. does not produce enough lamb to satisfy consumer demand. Much of the lamb sold in the U.S. is shipped in frozen from New Zealand. Australia is another major lamb graphic exporter of lamb. American lamb is generally milder in flavor, since the sheep are grain-fed rather than permitted to free-range graze. The U.S. cuts are also generally larger and meatier.
The U.S. government further grades lamb based on the proportion of fat to lean meat. Prime is the top grade, followed in order by Choice, Good, Utility, and Cull grades.
US Lamb Grades
• Baby Lamb: Milk-fed lambs slaughtered at between 6 and 8 weeks of age. (Also known as hothouse lamb)
• Spring Lamb: Milk-fed lamb between 3 and 5 months of age.
• Lamb: Weaned on grass and under one year of age.
• Mutton: Sheep over 1 year of age, typically slaughtered by 2 years of age as a food source.
Lamb or Mutton?
Lamb is a sheep less than a year old, typically slaughtered between the ages of four and twelve months. Older sheep is called mutton and has a much stronger flavor and tougher meat that many find distasteful. Mutton was a cheap food source for the military, and it was often overcooked and dry. Many American servicemen had their fill of mutton, coming home to declare it off-limits in the family home. This may be another reason why lamb hasn't become more popular in the States.
Finest Kind
Lamb connoisseurs consider lamb pré-salé to be the finest in the world. The French term means "salty field," and is applied to lamb that graze on meadowlands on the salty shores of Brittany and Normandy. The grass that thrives on the salty land gives the lamb meat a delicate flavor. The most reknowned area for this lamb is near Mont-St.-Michel in France. You might want to question the chef if you find pré-salé lamb on the menu in the United States, as there is a good chance it is not authentic.
What are the "fell?" and "musk" glands?
The outer fat of lamb has a thin, papery covering called the fell. Some cooks like to remove the fell, claiming it adds a strong flavor. However, it does help in holding the shape of the leg together while roasting, as well as retention of juices and flavor. On larger cuts, I haven't noticed enough difference in flavor to warrant the extra work. On small cuts, you may wish to remove the fell before cooking.
The shoulders and leg joints may also still have the musk glands attached, if not removed by your butcher. These are large yellowish pieces that you might find unsightly. They are called musk glands because it was formerly thought they gave a musky off-flavor to the meat. This has been proved untrue, but you may wish to remove them for the sake of aesthetics. Most butchers removed the musk glands before marketing.