Meathesaurus

A successful outcome in cooking lamb depends on matching the recipe or cooking method with an appropriate cut of lamb. For example, if you plan to grill, you get best results from smaller lamb cuts such as cutlets, shoulder chops or loin steaks. If your recipe calls for roasting, then you either opt for a larger lamb cut such as a rack or a less expensive cut such as the leg or shoulder. Here we give you helpful suggestions in making your choices from the many lamb cuts available.

Lamb chops vary a lot in tenderness and flavour, depending on the section of the lamb from which they are cut. Chops can come from the shoulder, rib, loin or leg. Chops are bone-in and should be clear pink to red colour. Dark purplish red indicates mutton that is less tender and has a stronger flavour. It could be a good choice for a highly seasoned, long-cooking recipe that might otherwise overwhelm the mild tasting young lamb.

The most tender and expensive chops come from the rib (lamb cutlets), shoulder (shoulder rack chops) and loin (lamb t-bone). The slightly fattier lamb shoulder rack chops and cutlets have a bit more flavour, but many people prefer the leanness of the bone-less lamb loin. All three cuts should be cooked quickly, using dry heat cooking methods such as grilling, broiling, or pan-broiling. They should not be overcooked - there should be some pink visible in the cooked meat. Lamb cutlets or lamb loin medallions will be dry if they are cooked until the centre is grey. They may be marinated for a very short time to add flavour, but long exposure to the acids in a marinade will cause the tender meat to turn mushy. Lamb shoulder rack chops, cutlets and loin medallions should be at least 1.5cm thick, but 2.5cm or more is ideal.

Shoulder rack chops are less tender and less expensive than cutlets or loin medallions. They are also from a more complicated muscle, so there are several "sections" in a shoulder chop, with more fat and connective tissue, making it less elegant and "chop-like" in appearance.

Leg chops (the lamb version of veal osso bucco) are larger, meatier and may be less tender than cutlets or loin medallions, but are still a good choice for grilling or broiling. Most people prefer the leg for roasting, sliced for stir-frying or cubed for braising or for use in shashliks.

There are several lamb cuts that make good roasts. The leg and the shoulder are typically the larger roasts. The leg, de-boned or bone-in, whole or half, is the cut most commonly roasted. Leg roasts can be successfully cooked at low, medium or high temperatures. The whole shoulder can also be roasted, de-boned or bone-in. Bone-less shoulder roasts are often stuffed with a zesty filling, then rolled and tied or netted. Because shoulder cuts are not as reliably tender as the leg, they are usually slow cooked at low heat after an initial few minutes at high heat to brown the surface and destroy any surface bacteria.

The rib and loin areas provide small, tender, expensive roasts. The lamb rack is an elegant small roast, usually only large enough for two or three persons. It is usually roasted quickly, at high heat. Two racks may be joined end-to-end then curved into a circle and tied, to make a Crown Roast. Two racks can be joined side-by-side with the protruding rib-ends interlocked, to make a Guard of Honour.

Huber’s Butchery offers a double bone-less loin tied with rosemary and that is good for serving three or four persons. A double bone-in loin roast, or Saddle of Lamb, consists of the loin roast from both sides of the backbone, left in one piece. We also offer a whole lamb carcase (16 – 20kg) which would certainly be a highlight in any outdoor party/event.

Chunks of meat threaded on skewers, with or without other ingredients, and grilled over hot charcoals, has long been a favorite way to cook lamb. Kebab chunks are usually regular cubes, about 2.5cm on each side, trimmed of fat and connective tissue. Irregular shaped pieces can be cooked this way as well, but they won't cook as evenly.

Whether you purchase meat precut or cut your own from larger pieces, the best cuts to use are shoulder and leg. Since shashliks are typically marinated prior to grilling, the somewhat tougher shoulder meat, tenderised by the marinade, is a good choice because it is economical and flavourful. Rib and loin cuts can be used, but they are very expensive. They may be marinated for a very short time to add flavour, but long exposure to the acids in a marinade will cause the tender meat to turn mushy. Meat from the breast is too fat while meat from the neck or shank meat is too tough.

"Stew meat" can vary from tidy 4cm cubes to small irregular bits left from trimming various cuts. To be sure of what you're getting, buy a suitable cut, such as shoulder, neck or shank, and cut it into pieces in the size you need. Alternatively, ask the butcher at the counter to cut the cubes from the cut you prefer. At Huber’s Butchery, we use the shoulder to cut our cubes for stew. Leg meat is easy to cut into uniform shapes, but will not be as moist or flavourful as shoulder, neck or shank meat.

Shoulder, neck and shanks are ideal for braising as the long slow cooking dissolves the collagen (connective tissue) and makes a rich smooth sauce. Leg roasts are sometimes braised, although the results are less flavourful than a shoulder roast. Loin and rib cuts are better prepared with a quick dry-heat method such as grilling or pan-broiling.