Mutton, Hogget and Lamb

[Morning Glory]

[Mod.Edit. This and following few posts moved to form new topic (MG)]

We visited the local indoor market (the only one and very small; just one passageway) to buy mutton. I'll prepare it later today.
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Fantastic. I love mutton. Its hard to find here. Is it easily available in Finland?

 

[Hemulen]

Fantastic. I love mutton. Its hard to find here. Is it easily available in Finland?

I hope I've understood the term "mutton" correctly. Imported mutton for cooking (= young lamb and full grown lamb; mutton) is sold everywhere either frozen or defrosted. Freshly butchered mutton is also on sale in some direct sales farm shops and sheep husbandry homesteads but most mutton is imported from New Zealand (like the one I bought defrosted from the butcher's today) . Mutton isn't used that much in Finland. Lamb (often a big oven roast with the leg bone intact) is mainly an Easter dish here but ribs, chops, cutlets and round pieces/fillets are cooked every now and then.

 

[Morning Glory]

I hope I've understood the term "mutton" correctly. Imported mutton for cooking (= young lamb and full grown lamb; mutton) is sold everywhere either frozen or defrosted.

Mutton in the UK is defined as:

'Mutton is from sheep that are over two years old, where lamb is up to one year. The extra age of mutton gives it a dark colour with a characteristic flavour that is richer than lamb.'

I'm not sure if what you are buying fits that description? Here there is a fairly clear distinction between mutton and lamb and lamb is much more easily available everywhere.

 

[Hemulen]

Mutton in the UK is defined as:

'Mutton is from sheep that are over two years old, where lamb is up to one year. The extra age of mutton gives it a dark colour with a characteristic flavour that is richer than lamb.'

I'm not sure if what you are buying fits that description? Here there is a fairly clear distinction between mutton and lamb and lamb is much more easily available everywhere.

Okay, I guess mutton (grown up lamb; over 2yrs) is available only at direct sales farms and sheep husbandry estates (and there aren't many in Finland) . I always cook lamb (young lamb) - like most people worldwide - as it's milder, tenderer and sold in every corner store. Sorry for the concoction.

Edit: I found a site (in Finnish, sorry) which states that more sheep are grown and slaughtered in Finland than before (in 2011 the consumption was only 600g/person/year). Nowadays Finnish lamb (young), hogget (1-2 yrs) and mutton (2yrs->) is sold nationwide; I've just not been so keen on bying or cooking that I would have known...., haven't seen much lamb or mutton in supermarket showcases (fresh meat counters) either. Two thirds of the lamb and mutton consumed in Finland is imported.

 

[rascal]

Carpet guys were supposed to be here today laying new carpet. Wife put them off at last minute. Too much going on around here and her work.

Russ

 

[rascal]

I prefer hogget (two tooths)

Russ

 

[epicuric]

Same definition here, and mutton is VERY hard to get. Very little demand for it, it seems. I've never had it, or seen it in a supermarket.

CD

I get the impression that lamb in general does not feature highly in the US diet. Is much gown domestically?

 

[caseydog]

I get the impression that lamb in general does not feature highly in the US diet. Is much gown domestically?

Lamb does okay here. And yes, there is American lamb. I like it better than Australian lamb, which is also available here. American lamb is less "gamey." It is not raised here in Texas. It does better in cooler climates in the Midwest US. American lamb is also expensive -- more expensive than Australian lamb.

CD

 

[Yorky]

Lamb does okay here. And yes, there is American lamb. I like it better than Australian lamb, which is also available here. American lamb is less "gamey." It is not raised here in Texas. It does better in cooler climates in the Midwest US. American lamb is also expensive -- more expensive than Australian lamb.

I saw a fillum once about land wars in US between sheep farmers and cattle farmers. If I remember correctly, the cattle can only eat the top portion of the grass shoots whereas the sheep eat the lot.

 

[Burt Blank]

In Wales I liked to buy the bigger lowland September lambs. One of my wife's jobs as a Waitrose Meat and fish specialist was to train the staff. Once a month with my assistance she would cook for the partners. The manager commented that there was never any absence on those days. The wine specialist would pair as would the cheese specialist. It was wonderful being able to cook with their lamb etc
. About our lamb

 

[caseydog]

I saw a fillum once about land wars in US between sheep farmers and cattle farmers. If I remember correctly, the cattle can only eat the top portion of the grass shoots whereas the sheep eat the lot.

Yes, there was a time when cattle ranchers fought to keep sheep off the land they used for cattle grazing. I don't recall the reasons, but your explanation sounds right. It is one of those things I know happened, but never did any research on.

CD

 

[epicuric]

Lamb does okay here. And yes, there is American lamb. I like it better than Australian lamb, which is also available here. American lamb is less "gamey." It is not raised here in Texas. It does better in cooler climates in the Midwest US. American lamb is also expensive -- more expensive than Australian lamb.

CD

Everyone's lamb is more expensive than Australian/NZ lamb I really don't know how they do it.

 

[TastyReuben]

From the USDA (most recent numbers I could find in my 30 seconds of googling):

"According to United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, each American consumed about .6 pound of lamb yearly in 2011. The highest lamb consumption in the past 100 years was 5 pounds per person in 1912."

That's not a typo. I remember reading a story in Bloomberg or Business Insider about the lamb industry here, and they'd found that more than half of Americans had never tried lamb at all, and that American lamb consumption was generally centered around immigrant/ethnic population centers.

Anecdotally, I know the local butcher in my small town doesn't carry it and can't/won't special order it. The local Kroger carries a couple of packs of lamb chops (similar to what they do with bison), compared to miles and miles of beef, pork, and chicken.

However, if I drive 35 minutes west, to Middletown, there's an established Greek population there, and it's easier to find in the butcher shops, Kroger has a better selection, and there are a handful of Greek-owned restaurants and it's on the menu.

 

[CraigC]

Mutton is the preferred meat for BBQ in Owensboro, KY. We always have some cut of lamb in one of the freezers all the time. Sometimes we have to grind our own for Greek dishes and Shepherds pie.

 

[caseydog]

From the USDA (most recent numbers I could find in my 30 seconds of googling):

"According to United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, each American consumed about .6 pound of lamb yearly in 2011. The highest lamb consumption in the past 100 years was 5 pounds per person in 1912."

That's not a typo. I remember reading a story in Bloomberg or Business Insider about the lamb industry here, and they'd found that more than half of Americans had never tried lamb at all, and that American lamb consumption was generally centered around immigrant/ethnic population centers.

Anecdotally, I know the local butcher in my small town doesn't carry it and can't/won't special order it. The local Kroger carries a couple of packs of lamb chops (similar to what they do with bison), compared to miles and miles of beef, pork, and chicken.

However, if I drive 35 minutes west, to Middletown, there's an established Greek population there, and it's easier to find in the butcher shops, Kroger has a better selection, and there are a handful of Greek-owned restaurants and it's on the menu.

Being an "average." what it really means (probably) is that some people eat a lot of lamb, others eat it occasionally (that's me), and others never eat it at all.

I can get chops, legs, and shanks pretty easily near me. It is mostly Australian lamb. I get American lamb chops at COSTCO.

CD