Lamb

The meat of sheep less than one year old and the only meat from these animals that is freely available in Australia although Halal butchers sell older meat as mutton. It has a strong, distinctive, flavour, which increases with age and is something of an aquired taste. It is very popular in Australia and New Zealand, both large producers of sheep.

Lamb is best in spring when it has a light sweet flavour and a lovely gelatinous texture.

This is not a meat that keeps very well and should be used when fresh.

The cuts with the best meat to bone ratio (and hence best value) are the leg and rump, which in Australia is usually cut into chump chops. The meat from the shoulder is well flavoured but more expensive. In Australia it is called fore-quarter

There is a range of offal available from sheep including brains, which are often crumbed and fried; liver (lambs fry). The caul fat that surrounds some of the animals internal organs is used for wrapping various preparations which are then baked. This keeps the item in a neat bundle and moistens it as the fat melts, during the cooking process.