Lamb (food)

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An unweaned lamb

The terms lamb, hoggett or mutton are used to describe the meat of a domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep a year old or younger is generally known as lamb, whereas the meat of an older sheep is either hoggett or mutton depending on its age and characteristics. In some countries all such meat is referred to as lamb. All of these are known generically as sheepmeats.

The meat of a lamb is taken from the animal between one month and one year old, with a carcass weight of between 5.5 and 30 kilograms. This meat generally is more tender than that from older sheep and appears more often on tables in some Western countries, most often on Easter (as a commemoration of the Last Supper). Hoggett and mutton can taste more flavorful than lamb because they contain a higher concentration of species-characteristic fatty acids; many therefore prefer the stronger flavour of older animals [1]. Hoggett and mutton also tend to be tougher than lamb (because of connective tissue maturation) and are therefore better suited to casserole-style cooking. Sheepmeat features prominently in cuisines of the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, India, and certain parts of China because other red meats are eschewed for religious or economic reasons. Barbecued mutton is a specialty in the area around the U.S. city of Owensboro, Kentucky, which hosts a competition for barbecued mutton (among other meats) annually.

Legs of lamb in a supermarket cabinet

Milk-fed lamb is meat from an unweaned lamb, typically 4 to 6 weeks old and weighing 5.5 to 8 kg; this is almost unavailable in countries such as the USA and the UK, where it is considered uneconomic. The flavour and texture of milk-fed lamb when grilled (such as the tiny lamb chops known as chuletillas in Spain) or roasted (lechazo asado or cordero lechal asado) is generally thought to be finer than that of older lamb. The areas in northern Spain where this can be found include Asturias, Burgos, Cantabria, Castile-Leon, and La Rioja.

The term sucker lambs includes young milk-fed lambs as well as slightly older lambs up to about 7 months of age which are also still dependent on their mothers for milk. Carcasses from these lambs usually weigh between 14 and 30kg. Older weaned lambs which have not yet matured to become mutton are known as old-season lambs.

In many eastern countries including India, the terms mutton and chevon refer to goat meat and not sheep meat. Usually, the so-called mutton curries of the Indian cuisine use goat meat when cooked at home, though in Indian hotels and restaurants sheep meat is generally used.

According to Jewish Kosher law, lambs may be eaten, but they must be slaughtered in a special way, and the sciatic nerve as well as certain types of fat on the back half of the animal may not be eaten. Similar rules apply for the Islamic dietary code, known as Halal and Haram.

[edit] Classifications

Because of dramatically differing economic values of each type of animal (lamb being the most expensive), classification systems have developed to ensure consumers receive the product they have purchased. The strict definitions for lamb, hogget and mutton vary slightly between countries. In New Zealand for example, they are defined as follows:

Lamb — A young sheep under 12 months of age which does not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear.
Hoggett — A young male sheep or maiden ewe having no more than two permanent incisors in wear.
Mutton — Female (ewe) or castrated male (wether) sheep having more than two permanent incisors in wear.

In Australia the definitions are extended slightly to include ewes and rams, as well as being slightly stricter on the definition for lamb which is:

Lamb — 0 permanent incisors. Female or castrate entire male ovine 0-12 months (note the Australian definition requires 0 permanent incisors, whereas the New Zealand definition allows 0 incisors in wear.)