MEAT GUIDE
Dinner
The meat guide: lamb
The sight of flocks of sheep in the fields is very much part of the
British landscape, and it is this pasture on which they feed that makes
our lamb so special. Apart from a brief spell under cover during the
harshest part of the winter, sheep spend most of their lives outside,
grazing; it is the most natural free-range meat you can buy.
Britain’s earliest spring lamb is on sale just in time for Easter, but
although this meat is tender, it does not necessarily have the best
flavour. The animals are still very young, and have not yet spent
enough time grazing on lush pasture for their meat to develop much
flavour. British lamb is in its prime in early summer, and it continues
to improve right the way through to the autumn, during which time
the flavour develops as the animals get bigger and the joints increase
in size. New Zealand has a similar climate to us and plenty of pasture,
which means it produces very good lamb. And although it was once
always frozen, regular air traffic means chilled fresh lamb is now
readily available – and at its best in January, February and March,
when British lamb is in short supply
Food heaven
BUYING TIPS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR
As with beef, the flavour of lamb improves immensely if it is hung
– ideally for about a week. So buy lamb from a good butcher. Lamb
bones should be pink in colour. The rib bones from the middle of the
carcass are good examples of this. Known to the butcher as ‘cherry
ribs’, they are bright pink when the lamb is young. As the animal gets
older, the bones lose their pinkness and become whiter. The colour of
fresh lamb varies according to age and pasture. It should be bright,
moist (but not overly wet) and brownish-pink (not too red or bloody).
The fat should be firm, dry and slightly crumbly (not at all yellow).
Don’t worry if there are any coloured stamps on the flesh – they are
made using vegetable dyes and are completely harmless. Look for
joints that are plump and nicely rounded with an almost dry skin, but
not dried out or patchy from over-exposure. Salt-marsh lamb is one of
the best known types, and is worth buying. Our best examples come
from Wales or Romney Marsh in Kent, where the saltwater-washed
pasture adds a distinctive sweet flavour to the meat.
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