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I've never had mutton, either. But I've had lamb prepared in all sorts of ways, but never really cared for it. And I can't get past the "cute" factor anyway. I don't eat veal either, not sure I've ever had it, and I don't want it. Poor little baby cows locked in a tiny, dark house before they are slaughtered. I've passed veal farms, with dozens upon dozens of little buildings full of baby cows, looking like rows of outhouses.
For whatever reason, lamb is expensive as hell here. Maybe it's expensive because Americans just don't care for it so you don't have vast lamb ranches like you have cattle ranches and pig farms and the like. So it's hard to figure if it's not eaten here very much because it's expensive, or it's expensive because it's not eaten here very much so nobody raises it here and it has to be imported.
I've come up with a chili recipe and everyone who's tasted it tells me they'd kill for the recipe. (Well maybe not that dramatic but I get huge compliments on it.) What I have yet to tell them is that half the meat is lamb. Makes the chili extra rich but they just can't put a finger on it.
Your first paragraph is contradictory.
American farmers will raise any livestock that they can make a profit on.
If there is no profit raising sheep ( meaning the market price they recieve is too low) they won't raise them.
Just cuz some stores and fancy restaurants put a sky high price on their product and proclaim it's because of scarcity, why isn't the market for lambs and sheep more profitable for the rancher/farmer ?
I think that Americans have just lost the taste for lamb, mutton and goat. Most of the Old World countries just don't have the space or climate for cattle like we do, so their cuisine focuses more on the smaller meat livestock. Back in the day, we had all this land, and the cattle ranchers did win the range wars... so Americans have slowly lost their taste for lamb, mutton and goat (as well as "game" birds like duck and goose -- ironically not turkey though, which we eat much much more of than any other nation).
We eat what we know... since there isn't much in the way of meat other than beef, pork and chicken commercially available here, we don't have a taste for it anymore so there's little demand for it except in ethnic populations and foodies, so less people raise them and it makes the price go up as a "luxury" food.
I, personally, prefer cold roast mutton sandwiches to cold roast beef sandwiches. And it's not a real gyro if it's not sheep or goat. And a really good curry just plain requires sheep or goat. I got used to some different meat flavors since I lived overseas when I was younger; but I don't have as nearly a varied palate as my husband who was born and raised in the UK. When we sit down to a fat turkey or ham for Christmas dinner, they normally sit down to fat goose or prime rib.
My background is the Adriadic, so lamb has always been a regular item. We still eat it about once a month, there is nothing better than a lamburger compared to a hamburger. We had a farm up until a few years ago. Every spring I would buy 6 or so young lambs and put them on a pasture until about this time of year. I usually paid $70 per young lamb, my cost of feed was pretty much zero, I did give them a little grain but corn fed lamb is a little "stinky". Anyhow, $70 plus $30 to a local butcher for processing, a hundred bucks cost for 40-50 lbs of finished lamb. It sold for $4 a pound to friends. Do the math, paying grocery store prices for lamb is too expensive.
As much as I love lamb, I don't like it cold or re-heated the next day. So that means you have to be careful to buy just the right amount of lamb for one meal or end up wasting leftovers. Lots of people are more frugal now and don't like to waste money or food that way.
Ah, but if you've cooked a lamb roast you can make a wonderful curry from the leftovers. And what about lamb shanks? Coat them with seasoned flour and braise them, throw them in a big dutch oven with tomatoes, red wine, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and a bunch of seasonings and let them simmer very slowly for about three hours. The meat will be dropping off the bone. Serve with a pile of garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, some real mint sauce - and the leftovers freeze and re-heat beautifully!
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Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
I disagree. You can't cook lamb too much. I love it dry and crusty brown around the edges and cooked weller-than-well! LOL No pink for me! ever! (no rosemary or mint either).
20yrsinBranson
Sorry but that sounds NASTY. Nothing worse than chewy overcooked lamb. I make my own mint sauce - and when cooking a leg I crust it with rosemary and cook it medium rare so you wouldn't like mine at all! But it does have a lovely crust.
To add to the mutton discussion, I love that too. I buy cut-up mutton to make big hearty stews and one of my favorite dishes is "goat water" a thick mutton soup with a quite prominent taste of cloves. Delicious!
It seems like in the US and Canada, sheep meat's not one that's consumed very much, and few people seem to eat it on a regular basis, compared to pork, beef or chicken.
Is it because of it's "gamey" taste? It's supposed more popular in the UK and Europe for instance, so it's curious why it's an example of cuisine hasn't carried over historically. North America does have lots of land that's good for pasture, but beef is the big thing.
Lamb or mutton seems far more popular in the Old World cultures (at least from anecdote or the general feeling I get). I've heard lamb is becoming a bit more popular in some large cities with immigrants whose home regions often eat it (ie. Middle East or other parts of Asia).
My grandmother made the most amazing lamb stew when I was a kid, as well as a really wicked steak and kidney pie. Heaven!
What stops a lot of people I know from enjoying lamb, other than it's cost,is the smell while it's cooking. Kinda has a wet dog scent.
Because it doesn't go well with mashed potatoes and canned peas? Because it isn't enhanced very well with ketchup or barbecue sauce? Because "McSheep" doesn't sound catchy? Because American 'sheeple' think it is too close to cannibalism?
Ah, but if you've cooked a lamb roast you can make a wonderful curry from the leftovers. And what about lamb shanks? Coat them with seasoned flour and braise them, throw them in a big dutch oven with tomatoes, red wine, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and a bunch of seasonings and let them simmer very slowly for about three hours. The meat will be dropping off the bone. Serve with a pile of garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, some real mint sauce - and the leftovers freeze and re-heat beautifully!
To add to the mutton discussion, I love that too. I buy cut-up mutton to make big hearty stews and one of my favorite dishes is "goat water" a thick mutton soup with a quite prominent taste of cloves. Delicious!
Love lamb shank and your recipe is making my mouth water (but I'd cook 'em from raw, eat them, and be done.) Curry - Ok, I know it's my own little issue but...I will make lamb curry from raw lamb and then eat the leftovers the next day but...I won't cook lamb roast and then use the cooked leftover meat to make a curry. It just doesn't taste the same or 'right' to me.
I'd love to try that goat water with cloves! I know you said you make it with mutton but I do also like goat - especially curried goat (jamaican) or goat curry (indian).
Noticed some of you from Oz and NZ remarking on the tiny chops here in the US. I agree the rib chops are itsy and the prepackaged loin chops aren't what I grew up with. My mom always went to the butcher and requested 'double cut' loin chops. They were thick and meaty with a nice row of marrow if we were lucky.
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