RecipeCookingGuide

I put this guide together because many of our customers are unfamiliar with all of the cuts from a lamb or goat. Each cut has its own distinctive qualities and characteristics, so you really need to get the right cut of meat for the type of cooking you intend to do. One general note is that naturally raised lamb meat will change throughout the year. In mid-spring to mid-summer, the animals are feasting on strong, lush, new grass growing in the pastures. They put on more fat from the richer diet and all the cuts will be a little more tender & more suitable for grilling and pan frying. In the colder months they spend more energy staying warm and feed on baled hay and a little grain, which doesn't pack on the pounds the same way. Meat harvested in these months is going to be just as tasty but more suitable for longer, slower cooking methods.

Keep in mind, this applies just to naturally raised animals. Their body chemistry changes with the seasons, just like ours does. Most store-bought lamb is fed a large amount of grain consistently through it's life. This causes the animal to grow much faster and fatter. The advantage is that the characteristics of the meat will be more consistent. The disadvantage is that the animals are eating a lot of what their bodies are not designed to process. That is why we prefer grass-fed lamb and beef over grain-fed. It's the way the animals were designed!

Enjoy!

Scott

Cooking Guide for Lamb and Goat

Arm Steaks & Center Cut Leg Steaks: Best for long, slow cooking or braising. Responds very well to marinating. Can be tough if grilled or pan-fried. The marrow bone adds tremendous flavor when slow cooked. Arm comes from the upper part of the front leg. Center Cut comes from the back leg and is typically leaner.

Shanks: Best for long, slow cooking or braising. Responds very well to marinating. The bone adds tremendous flavor to what some consider the best tasting meat on the animal. Comes from the lower part of the front and back legs.

Blade Steaks: Good for grilling, pan frying, broiling, or anything else, really. Excellent flavor, easy to cook. Comes from the shoulder area.

Sirloin Steaks: Ok for grilling, pan frying or broiling. Can get tough if cooked on too high heat or too fast. Braising, marinating or stewing is a safe bet. Marinate in lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper. OMG YUM! Comes from the top of the back leg area.

Rib & Loin Chops: These are the best, most exquisitely tender cuts on the animal. A special treat. Easy to cook any way you want. Always good & reliable. Comes from the meat along the backbone from ribs to hips. The Rack is all the rib chops intact. Many people consider rib superior to loin.

Leg of Lamb/Goat: Best for long, slow cooking. This is a roast. Treat it like a pork roast or beef roast. Usually available bone-in or boneless. Bone-in has more flavor. Boneless has more meat. Comes from the upper back leg.

Organ Meat: Heart is another type of muscle meat, is quite lean, and very tasty. Pan fry or add to stew. Liver tastes like, well, liver. Makes an excellent pate’. Kidneys make a nice addition to stew. Soak kidneys in milk overnight for a milder flavor.

Soup Bones and Fat: The bones can make an incredibly tasty soup or stew for very little money. There is meat on them and the marrow adds big flavor and nutrition. The fat can be rendered (see Sally Fallon’s book ‘Nourishing Traditions’) and used for cooking or bird suet cakes.