Sheep meat (lamb, hogget and mutton)

[flyinglentris]

Generally, when I go looking, I always find Lamb. I've heard of Mutton and decided to look it up.

It turns out that for Sheep Meat, there are three variants...

Lamb is Sheep Meat in its first year.
Hogget is Sheep Meat in its second year.
Mutton is older Sheep Meat.

If I went looking for Hogget or Mutton here, in the USA, I would not find either, just Lamb. I wonder why that is?

 

[flyinglentris]

I've found a mention that Mutton fell out of favor in the US after WWII.

Clearly this indicates a flavor and/or texture difference between Lamb and Mutton. And what that means for Hogget, I haven't a clue.

 

[Morning Glory]

Its the same in the UK. Mutton and hogget fell out of fashion. We can get it in good butchers here or direct from farms.

Mutton has a fantastic gamey flavour. Its really far more interesting than lamb IMHO. It needs longer slow cooking.

 

[rascal]

Hogget here are sheep 2 years old or two tooths here. Mutton 3 and over , lamb usually around 25 kg young sheep. I love all of them. Last week I got given a whole lamb chopped up and packed. Complete with lamb sausages. These are a first for me. BBQ later do I'll let you know.

Russ

 

[Mountain Cat]

Hogget here are sheep 2 years old or two tooths here. Mutton 3 and over , lamb usually around 25 kg young sheep. I love all of them. Last week I got given a whole lamb chopped up and packed. Complete with lamb sausages. These are a first for me. BBQ later do I'll let you know.

Russ

Wasn't sure about hogget, but I guessed it would be between lamb and mutton.

When we were in Scotland and lived for a summer in a house where my parents had a kitchen - we had mutton. I loved it, and have only been able to find it once here in the US (at a Halal grocery that went out of business before I could get back there). Could have actually been hogget, since that term is not used here as far as I can discover.

I LUV the ovine species! Whatever age...

Last March just prior to shutdown I got half a lamb from a farmer back in my earlier state. This meat is nearly all gone - but a couple cuts or offal bits are left. I like the meat from sheep (lamb to mutton) better than beef - although I can respect that, as well.

That farmer makes a stunning Merguez sausage!!!! Wanna go back!

EDIT: that summer was in the middle/late seventies. When I visited Scotland on my own in the mid 90s - i couldn't find mutton anywhere. Although I wasn't on that trip in a situation where I had a kitchen, but was hoping to find some at a restaurant.

 

[rascal]

Wasn't sure about hogget, but I guessed it would be between lamb and mutton.

When we were in Scotland and lived for a summer in a house where my parents had a kitchen - we had mutton. I loved it, and have only been able to find it once here in the US (at a Halal grocery that went out of business before I could get back there). Could have actually been hogget, since that term is not used here as far as I can discover.

I LUV the ovine species! Whatever age...

Last March just prior to shutdown I got half a lamb from a farmer back in my earlier state. This meat is nearly all gone - but a couple cuts or offal bits are left. I like the meat from sheep (lamb to mutton) better than beef - although I can respect that, as well.

That farmer makes a stunning Merguez sausage!!!! Wanna go back!

EDIT: that summer was in the middle/late seventies. When I visited Scotland on my own in the mid 90s - i couldn't find mutton anywhere. Although I wasn't on that trip in a situation where I had a kitchen, but was hoping to find some at a restaurant.

We loved Scotland in 98 we spent about two weeks there, based in Inverness. Loved isle of Skye. I never saw much lamb let alone mutton in the shops there. I remember seeing lamb in harrods at cheaper? Then back here. All my family, Lamb is the fave here. I can get hogget from a halal butcher I recently discovered. You had to buy whole lamb @ $7 kg ( unheard of price here) of hogget @$10 kg, still a great price. Lamb goes here for $18 kg to $26 kg.
I have two big freezers and two small, all full,to the brim.!!

Russ

 

[epicuric]

As Morning Glory says, hogget and mutton can be found at decent butchers. Hogget can more or less be cooked like lamb, but has more flavour. Mutton, being even older tends to be a bit tougher, so is more suited to long slow cooking i.e. casseroles, tagines or curries. Excellent flavour though. Tastes in the West seemed to have moved away from lamb in general, hogget and mutton in particular, which is a shame.