Why isn't lamb a popular meat in the west

[Cooking Goddess]

Mom loved braised lamb shanks. My Dad did, too. But Bunny, their corgi, did not like even the smell of lamb. The first time Mom made it, Bunny barked the entire time it cooked and during dinner. Happened the next two times, too. After that, I'd make shish kabobs for all of us - lamb for Mom and Dad, beef for Himself, my aunt, and me. Since the cooking was done at our place, Bunny was none the wiser.

Lamb is the only meat I use for shepherd's pie. Shepherds herd sheep, not cows or turkeys..

Which is why when "people who know" make that dish, they call it cottage pie.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've bought goat for stewing a Jamaican dish for my BIL. It was delish! but all those tiny neck bones - I've never made it since, just because of the bones. You can usually find a huge bag of them in the freezer sections. But I've never seen any other cut.

 

[larry_stewart]

I have always liked it, even when Mom cooked it to death, which was done with everything back then!

My mom must have attended the same cooking class yours did
I always knew when she was cooking lamb, cause the house filled with smoked and the smoke detectors would go off ( every time without fail).

 

[taxlady]

I've bought goat for stewing a Jamaican dish for my BIL. It was delish! but all those tiny neck bones - I've never made it since, just because of the bones. You can usually find a huge bag of them in the freezer sections. But I've never seen any other cut.

Yeah, what's up with that? I have never tried buying goat. Every single time I have ordered anything with goat, there was that plethora of tiny bones. I like it. DH says it tastes good, but he doesn't want all those little bones. I don't really mind them. There are a couple of new West Indian restos and the food is good. But, there is goat in almost everything, so DH doesn't want to order from them. Who is getting the rest of the meat from those goats?

 

[dragnlaw]

Have no idea where the rest of the meat goes - but there must be lots because I sure see a lot of necks!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Which is why when "people who know" make that dish, they call it cottage pie.

I had this discussion on another board, and yes, we agreed that made with beef it is called cottage pie, but I decided that, when made with turkey, it should be called henhouse pie.

I make a two topping shepherd's pie, with lamb, of course, but I put a strip of mashed potatoes down each side and mashed sweet potato down the center. Everyone liked the presentation, and they thought it was delicious.

 

[dragnlaw]

That sounds neat Sir LOB, I like that idea.

Was wondering which vegetable most people here put in as well.

Grew up with meat with the gravy, a layer of corn, topped with mashed potato.

My ex grew up with meat/gravy, a layer of peas, topped with the potato.
He couldn't believe we had it with corn! Unheard of! Gadzooks woman!

So I started making it with both, lol and now, with whatever comes first to hand.

 

[taxlady]

We have it with onions fried with the ground meat, gravy, a layer of corn, and then the mashed potatoes dotted with butter on top. I prefer the corn to other veg, because I find that it holds up to the baking the best. I have never tried with peas, because I really detest overcooked peas. Corn is also the traditional veg used here in Quebec, where it is called "pâté chinois" in Quebecois French. I call it "cottage pie", when I make it with ground beef and "shepherd's pie", when I make it with ground lamb.

 

[dragnlaw]

Ooops - my mistake, I reversed it - we had peas, my ex- had corn.
and truth to tell, we call it all Shepherds Pie.

Ground lamb was not a popular meat with my mom for some reason. Not available? Expensive? Big box grocers had not started up yet. I really don't know. Although I did know the difference, I didn't care what it was called. Shepherd was the more common name here.

 

[msmofet]

I sauté ground beef and onions. Then add gravy and mixed vegetables to the beef. Stir well. Place meat in dish, top with mashed potatoes. Lastly, add shredded cheddar to top and bake till cheese is melted and lightly browned.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I call it "cottage pie", when I make it with ground beef and "shepherd's pie", when I make it with ground lamb.

Absolutely correct. That´s what I do!

 

[Bitser]

Commercial range lambs, called fats, are born in spring (March or April here). They go on the range (usually public land mountain or desert) in June. They come back to the ranch and are shipped in September or October. The ewes and bucks are wintered over. The strategy is to use as much forage from public land as possible and as little of a ranch's own pasture or hay.

My father's family raised both cattle and sheep, and I worked as a campjack and wrangler for a sheep outfit. There were castrated yearlings (wethers) in the herd to supply our meat. We'd butcher every other week or so. When a sheep would break a leg or prolapse or be otherwise injured badly, we'd kill it and use the meat, so I did eat some rank, fatty mutton. Best done over coals so the fat drips off.

When I lived in New Zealand, besides lamb, they sold hogget (yearling lamb) which cost less. They also sold mutton, but much of it was exported to islands and nations in the South Pacific (mutton flaps) where it was the cause of health problems.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I live in beef country. Lamb costs an arm and a leg. That should not be the case. Sheep are so much easier than cattle to raise. It's just the way it is. But heck, all meat including beef are almost too expensive to buy. I eat a lot of chicken, pork, and our Mississippi catfish.

 

[dragnlaw]

didn't know people ate catfish, the bottom eater, I sort of gagged when I heard about it....

and then...

I had some...

Wow! one of my favourites now!

 

[GotGarlic]

Pretty much the only lamb we eat is ground lamb for $9.99/lb. at Kroger. Sometimes I make Turkish kebabs or a Turkish soup with caramelized onions and lamb meatballs. Good stuff.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Along with the onion and garlic, fried with the ground lamb, I use peas, corn and carrots, or I will get a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and use a cup and a half of whatever vegetables are in the bag.

 

[Bitser]

didn't know people ate catfish, the bottom eater, I sort of gagged when I heard about it...

A girlfriend took me fishing for channel cats, on a full moon. When I hauled up the first one and had a look, I thought: no way I'm eating that THING!

 

[Bitser]

Back to lamb, I love köfte in meatballs or in kebab. Turkish of origin, it was renamed Swedish meatballs and is very popular.

Another favorite is merguez, a North African sausage of ground lamb, roast red bell pepper, paprika, hot red pepper flakes, garlic, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. It can be put in casings or made into meatballs or kebab.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

A girlfriend took me fishing for channel cats, on a full moon. When I hauled up the first one and had a look, I thought: no way I'm eating that THING!

I've eaten a good many bullheads from the pristine waters I grew up with. I tried catfish in Memphis, from the Mississippi. They tasted muddy to me. I didn't much care for them.

eeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[LizStreithorst]

The freshwater cat's are very mild and tender. They can replace any white fish. They are farm raised down here, but I've fished for them on a fresh water lake and they are even better. Don't try a salt water catfish. They taste horrible. I know from experience.