When does “lamb” become “mutton”?
Lamb refers to young sheep aging from one week to about eight months. Hothouse lamb is one to two weeks old. Baby lamb is four to six weeks old. Regular lamb is six weeks to one year in age. After this it is referred to as mutton or yearling lamb. The reason for the preference of lamb is that as a sheep ages the meat becomes tougher and stronger in flavor.
How do you know what you're getting?
Hothouse lamb has pink flesh, white fat and red streaks through the bones. Mutton has a dark, almost purple flesh, yellow fat and white bones. Another way to tell is by size. The smaller the cut, the younger the lamb. The younger the lamb, the milder the flavor and the more tender the meat.
What is the best way to cook lamb or mutton?
Lamb and mutton taste best grilled. The secret of cooking lamb and mutton is in the tenderizing and marinating. Depending on what cut you're using, take the meat and pound it well with a meat tenderizer. This will break down the meat, allowing it to cook more evenly and allowing the fats and tendons to break down more. Then apply a marinade. The meat should marinate for a good day, or at least overnight. Traditional marinades for lamb start with olive oil and end up with a seasoning of mint, lemon or garlic.
When grilling, make sure the surface of the meat has a good coating of oil. Lamb will stick more than some other meats. When smoking or barbecuing, give it a good marinade and stuffing. With large cuts of lamb, make incisions into the meat and add whole garlic cloves. Sprinkle with parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaves, etc.
[close]
