Sheep meat

[giggler]

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.

 

[taxlady]

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.

 

[Andy M.]

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.

 

[pepperhead212]

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!

 

[Aunt Bea]

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.

 

[taxlady]

In the Caribbean, mutton often means goat meat.

 

[Badjak]

Goat is much leaner than lamb or mutton

 

[caseydog]

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

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Amazon has mutton, corned, in a can.

 

[dragnlaw]

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?