lamb chops?

greenboy · #1 12/30/10, 06:18 AM

In my area is very difficult to find sheep in supermarkets and Farmer's market and when you find it, is very expensive. My brother told me is because Sheep produce more money to the farmers producing wool than meet and in America the sheep meat market is small because people love beef too much. I visit grand mother in Spain recently and we had sheep practically every day. Why we don't have a bigger market for the sheep meat....? I wonder.

ONG2 · #2 12/30/10, 07:28 AM

As kids we never ate lamb, but we sure do now, and so do our kids. I think it is how you were raised and what you are used to.

Do you ever get to Ohio? If you do we can fix you up with pasture raised lamb at a far better price than the super market.

PNP Katahdins · #3 12/30/10, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenboy

My brother told me is because Sheep produce more money to the farmers producing wool

Don't listen to your brother. For most sheep owners, wool costs more to shear off than it's worth. There are exceptions, of course.

Try Localharvest.org and similar websites. Lamb and mutton are good to eat!

Peg

**Ross** · #4 12/30/10, 10:45 AM

Your brother has it backwards meat is the money maker for sheep wool generally speaking is a money loser. There are exceptions of course.

ajaxlucy · #5 12/30/10, 11:16 AM

We never ate lamb growing up either, and for years I heard about sheep meat having a strong, bad flavor. Now that we raise sheep, we eat both lamb and mutton and really enjoy the meat, but it's still relatively uncommon and/or expensive in the stores around here. Most folks we know automatically think meat means beef or pork, chicken or turkey (not counting deer season, of course).

spinandslide · #6 12/30/10, 12:43 PM

Ditto with others..sheep wool is not considered a "money maker"..the meat aspect is.

We did not eat much lamb growing up on the east coast. Only time was if we went to the greek or persian restaurant in town.

I like it and with my small herd, I hope to add some lamb into my freezer to go with the beef.

greenboy · #7 12/31/10, 09:26 AM

Ong2 Ohio is next door, so I may pay you a visit during the good weather. Just thinking about it.... thanks. I let you know.

oregon woodsmok · #8 01/01/11, 03:44 AM

You have to know how to cook lamb and I suspect that a lot of Americans can't cook any more.

I've bought some absolutely ghastly New Zealand "lamb" in the market. I don't know what the heck they are sending over here, but it was tougher than shoe leather and gamey flavored. Bet that stuff turned a whole bunch of people who decided to give lamb a try off of lamb forever.

Lamb tends to be expensive and for the high price it is visably a lot of bone and fat for the money. I suspect people don't want to buy expensive things if they aren't sure they are going to like it.

I love lamb, but I won't buy it in the market, because the quality is so inconsistant that you never know what you are going to get.

Ronney · #9 01/01/11, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

You have to know how to cook lamb and I suspect that a lot of Americans can't cook any more.

I've bought some absolutely ghastly New Zealand "lamb" in the market. I don't know what the heck they are sending over here, but it was tougher than shoe leather and gamey flavored. Bet that stuff turned a whole bunch of people who decided to give lamb a try off of lamb forever.

Lamb tends to be expensive and for the high price it is visably a lot of bone and fat for the money. I suspect people don't want to buy expensive things if they aren't sure they are going to like it.

I love lamb, but I won't buy it in the market, because the quality is so inconsistant that you never know what you are going to get.

One thing that most people are probably unaware of is that any sheepmeat is considered to be lamb until it has cut it's first two adult teeth. Many animals don't do this until they are 15 months plus so while in terms of age they are hoggets, technically they are still lambs and can be sold as such. The meat you will have eaten will have come from a completely grass fed lamb and if it was an older lamb will not have had the bland taste and soft texture that Americans associate with either grain fed or very young animals. The first lamb pick in NZ happens late November/early December and these are taken straight off their mothers, put on a truck and go to the works. These are prime lambs most of which go to the UK and Europe with some to the States.

Personally I think that lamb is an over rated meat and would much prefer to eat a hogget or 2th. They have flavour and a texture that I can actually use my teeth on - which doesn't mean that it's tough.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Somerhill · #10 01/01/11, 10:09 AM

Greenboy, if you ever get to Marietta (Ohio) on a Saturday morning, stop by and check out my lamb. :^) I sell lamb meat and rabbits at the farmer's market there year round.
I provide lots of recipes for my customers. My next project is to make a cookbook for the farm, divided into recipes that call for the different cuts of lamb I sell.

You can find lots of good recipes on my blog at
http://somerhillfarm.blogspot.com

bruce2288 · #11 01/01/11, 11:06 AM

I have met many older guys who were in the Service during WWII. Who were served "lamb" which was probably mutton,stew. These guys would not take a taste of my lamb. I agree with Ronnie I usually butcher sheep at 18-24 months. Bigger primal cuts, more flavor, firmer meat, but this is an individual preforance. Just as veal to me is bland flavorless mush.