Contents
Lamb Basics
Lamb Nutritional Information: Lamb
How to Buy Lamb
How to Store Lamb
How to Cook Lamb
Cuts of Lamb
Leg
Foreshank and Breast
Loin
Rib
Shoulder
Learn more with these titles from Barnes & Noble
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- The different types and nutritional value of lamb
- What to look for when buying lamb and how to store it after you buy
- A breakdown of all the different cuts of lamb, and how to cook each type
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Lamb Basics
A lamb is a young sheep, which in most regions means a sheep that is less than a year old. Lamb is also the name of the meat from the young sheep. Lamb should not be confused with mutton, which is the meat from adult sheep, including rams (uncastrated adult males), wethers (castrated adult males), and ewes (adult females).
The Differences Between Mutton and Lamb
Though mutton and lamb both come from sheep, the two have a number of differences between them :
- Taste: Mutton is tougher and has a much stronger taste than lamb, which is more tender and mild.
- Color: Lamb is pinkish-red in color, whereas mutton is a deep red.
- Fat: Mutton is fattier than lamb, and the fat is a darker color. Lamb is leaner, with lighter-colored fat.
- Bones: The joints of the forelegs of lambs are cartilaginous, whereas those of sheep are bony.
Because it is so much more tender, leaner, and mild, lamb is much more popular than mutton.
Types of Lamb
Nearly all lamb comes from sheep that are younger than 12 months. Lambs may be slaughtered at different ages within this year and are sold under correspondingly
different names:
- Baby lamb: Baby lamb is 6–8 weeks old, less than 20 pounds, and purely milk-fed. It is extremely tender and very pale pink in color, and is usually roasted whole.
- Spring lamb: Also called Easter lamb, spring lamb is 3–5 months old. Traditionally, fresh lamb was only available during this season, giving it the name. Spring lamb weighs usually no more than 40 pounds, and its meat is slightly darker than that of baby lamb. Spring lamb is most often roasted whole, usually on a spit.
- Lamb: The vast majority of lamb sold at retail is slaughtered at an age of 5–12 months. Regular lamb meat is a pinkish red that is considerably darker than baby and spring lamb. It can be cooked in many ways, often depending on the particular cut.
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