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By Root 972 0

all of the states raise some lamb, and several states (Texas, Colorado, California, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Utah) produce enough to export lamb across the country. American lambs are larger than their European and Pacific Rim counterparts, yielding chops and roasts that are nearly twice the weight of imported lamb.

Suckling or spring lamb, which is exceptionally mild and tender, can be grill-roasted whole on a spit (see page 243). Spring lambs usually weigh between 20 and 35 pounds and yield about half of their weight in meat. Although the seasonal name used to indicate lambs that were born in the spring, suckling lambs are now available year-round due to improved husbandry practices. A good source is Jamison Farm in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (jamisonfarm.com), which produces hormone-free lamb and will ship anywhere in the country.

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LAMB PRIMAL CUTS

1. Shoulder

2. Breast and foreleg

3. Rack

4. Loin

5. Leg

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All cuts of lamb are tender enough to be grilled, although the shoulder and breast benefit from frequent basting with a marinade or sauce. The cuts of lamb, from most tender to toughest, are shown in the following chart.

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CUTS OF LAMB FOR GRILLING, FROM MOST TENDER TO TOUGHEST

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LOIN Lamb loin chops have the same configuration as a T-bone steak of beef or a loin chop of veal or pork. The loin is also sold as a roast, most regally with both sides attached, which is called a saddle of lamb. When the saddle is cut into chops, they are called double loin chops and look like two T-bone steaks fused together. Crosscuts of a boneless loin are called medallions or noisettes.

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RACK A rack of lamb corresponds to a standing rib roast of beef. It consists of 8 ribs that run from the shoulder to the loin down one side of the spine; the eye of the rack is a continuation of the main muscle in the loin. When the rib bones are trimmed of meat and fat, leaving just the eye and cap of meat, the rack is said to be “frenched.” A foresaddle of lamb consists of both sides of the rack still attached to one another, and a crown roast consists of two or three sides tied together with their ribs arching outward to resemble a crown.

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LEG Unlike the legs of larger animals, a primal leg of lamb is sold with the hip bone still attached, which gives the roast a dramatic shape but can be problematic for carving. Most of the time you will want the aitchbone (hipbone) removed. The hip half and leg half are also sold separately, and either can be bought boneless, in which case they are usually rolled and netted. If you’re grill-roasting a boneless leg, ask your butcher to tie the leg rather than net it, because it’s difficult to remove the net after cooking over an open fire. A cross section of leg is sold as center-cut leg chops or steaks (these have a round bone) or as lamb sirloin chops or steaks (these have several oddly shaped bones); both grill well.

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TOUGH CUTS: SHOULDER, BREAST, AND SHANK The tougher cuts are delicious grilled over indirect low heat. They need time for their fibers to soften, but because they are well marbled they never dry out. A period of marinating helps to add flavor and tenderize the meat.

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CUTS OF LAMB FOR GRILLING

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11. Game Meats

The anatomy of wild animals is the same as that of other animals raised for meat. By comparing a wild animal to its domesticated counterpart, you will know its primal cuts, its relative flavor, and the best ways to grill it. The principal differences will be in texture and flavor.

Contrary to their succulent image in folklore and film, game meats are usually drier and tougher than meat bred for food. This makes sense when you think about the factors that make meat tender and juicy. Wild animals get lots of exercise, making their muscles tough and flavorful, and unlike livestock they don’t spend their last months in a feed lot gorging on high-calorie grain, so their muscles have little marbling.

The majority of game meats sold commercially is not wild.