Sheep meat

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giggler

Sous Chef
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
730
Location
Austin, TX.
Here we have adult sheep.
I want to eat one.
Why can I only buy baby Lamb?
I don,t want that.
I want a 3yr old male steer sheep.
Do I have to buy one and take it to the processing place myself?
Any Butchers on this list explain why?
Thanks, Eric Austin Tx.
 
I think that the majority of Americans have a hard enough time with the so-called gaminess of lamb. No one seems to believe that mutton would have an acceptable flavour to most Americans.

I wouldn't take it to a processing plant. I would try to find a butcher who would do it. I once found butcher, the owner of an Italian deli, who said he would gladly butcher an animal for me if I could get it to him quickly after it was slaughtered and gutted.
 
What she said. A full grown sheep has a very strong and gamey flavor that most people find unpleasant. That's why you only ever find lamb in the markets.
 
My first thought, while starting to read this, was that I used to (been years since I was there, but I'm sure they are still there) see several of the butchers in the Italian market in Philly, with "mutton" listed with the meats they deal with. Around here, lamb is found in all the supermarkets, and even Aldi, but you wouldn't find mutton, unless you go to a butcher, in a large city; I'm sure they are in Austin somewhere where there are a bunch of them together, in Butcher's Row, or something like that area in the Italian Market. They also have small butchers in Muslim areas, where they eat a lot of lamb and mutton. I used to have a Pakistani market on my route - they had a small butcher in the back, and I think it was smaller than my kitchen!
 
The closest thing that I’ve seen in major grocery chains are bags of frozen goat chunks.

I’m not sure how they would compare to mutton.

Because I’m not familiar with mutton I would prefer to have it prepared by someone with practical experience in how best to serve it.
 
Sheep farming has an old stigma in the US. Cattle farmers hated sheep farmers. Sheep ate too much grass that should have gone to cattle, in their opinions. Way back when, sheep farmers could find their herds killed and farms burned down. To this day, we don't raise a lot of sheep here.

American lamb is actually very good, although very hard to find. It is not as gamey as Australian lamb, which is mostly what is sold here. When I can find American lamb chops, I buy them. They are pricey, but really tasty.

Mutton is going to be very hard to find in Texas. Texas is cattle country. You are going to have to look in specialty markets. You can probably find cabrito (young goat) and even mature goat in Central Texas. Look in Mexican markets. But Mutton is going to be a challenge.

CD
 
giggler how did you want to cook your mutton? Basically mutton is tough and only braising/stewing can do it justice. Otherwise you might need a dentist the next day.

Do you have a specific recipe you've seen and want to try?
 
in the country, between Austin and Abileen Tx. today I drove by many Sheep Farms.
I will take a picture. I assume they are there to raise and sell Lamb.
But what about the older animals?
By Processing Plant. I mean the many places we have to butcher wild dear, and wild hogs.
When you buy meat from them, the pkg. says, Not for Resale.
Eric, Austin Tx.
 
giggler I'm far from an expert on animal husbandry, I just think it makes sense that there will be no 3 year old males. The ones not chosen to be studs will be butchered as lambs.

They can't have a field of rams fighting over the ewes.
 

Frequently Asked Questions about Processing and Sale - Meat Safety | Texas DSHS

www.dshs.texas.gov www.dshs.texas.gov

the link above is for texas. It might explain why anything outside the regulations and inside the regulations might say 'not for resale'.

Here in WI we can take deer for instance, dead, to people that will butcher it for us, or we often did it ourselves. Sometimes the owner of the 'farm' where the animal is raised, will kill it, have it hauled to your butcher or processor or their choice or their butcher or processor.

@giggler I can't see any reason you can't have the lamb farm raise an older sheep for you (or maybe they have one they want to get rid of), have it killed or kill it, haul it yourself or maybe they have butcher's they prefer, or not, have them haul it to that butcher. Most of the deal is set up with the farmer raising the animal usually price/lb hanging weight, kill fee, hauling or not, then you just designate the cuts/wrapping and price of cutting with the butcher.
You can control/negotiate most of it, or all of it, or go with what they suggest. If you are skilled with a knife, and can kill the animal and haul it, you can do it yourself. You probably won't label it but if it was labeled it would be 'not for resale'.
 
Last edited:
giggler said:
in the country, between Austin and Abileen Tx. today I drove by many Sheep Farms.
I will take a picture. I assume they are there to raise and sell Lamb.
But what about the older animals?
By Processing Plant. I mean the many places we have to butcher wild dear, and wild hogs.
When you buy meat from them, the pkg. says, Not for Resale.
Eric, Austin Tx.
Click to expand...

Wow, I didn't expect that. I wonder why I have such a hard time finding American lamb here in the DFW area. I think your assumption is correct. They are in business to raise lambs. The demand for mutton may not be big enough to make a business of it.

CD
 
for a maiden voyage, i would hit up a Mexican Grocery store and buy some goat. try that first.

i once shot a rutty old goat in the hill country near you. it was gamey. i turned a shoulder into an South East Asian curry and it was a huge hit.
 
When we vacationed in Aruba years ago, I was goat meat in the supermarket. I wanted to make a stew but no one would agree to eat it so I passed.
 
I've probably mentioned this a couple of years ago, I once found frozen goat meat and made a Jamaican stew for my BIL. Too spicy for me although I ate it but perfect for him. Did up several servings and froze them for him. It was good but for all those bones, spent just as much time spitting them out as chewing around them.
I think one of the main reasons for strong spices and strong curries, is there isn't always a choice for young tender meat in a lot of countries and this is one way to tone down the gaminess of older, wilder meats.
 
From the land of lamb here's what we have
Young lambs usually around 20 to 25 kg dressed . I pay $10 per kg dressed. My friend ( a butcher) cuts it for free for me
Sheep older are called hoggets and I grew up.eating that.
Then 3 years you mutton. Great in stews I'm.told.
We prolly ate it as kids under the pretences it was lamb or hogget???
My wifes fave lamb dish is tandoori lamb cutlets. She will fight you to get the last one lmao

Russ
 
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