MEAT GUIDE
Dinner
THE CUTS
The animal can be divided into three: the fore end, the middle and the
hind legs.
BUTTERFLIED
A ‘butterflied’ leg of lamb has simply been open-boned to leave one
large piece of meat, shaped roughly like a butterfly.
FORE END
LAMB SHANKS
Shanks are cut from the thinner end of the leg and are ideal for slowcooking. Each serves one person.
SCRAG END
The bony part of the neck, which is cut across into thick slices. It has
lots of flavour and is best used for slow cooking.
MIDDLE NECK OR NECK
Similar to the scrag, this can be boned to produce lean neck fillets.
shoulder Sold whole or divided into two halves. It can be boned and
either rolled into a neat roasting joint or diced for use in casseroles
and curries. It also makes the best mince. The shin (i.e. the part lower
down the front leg) can be removed from a whole shoulder. It is
known as the fore shank and is ideal for braising.
CUTS OF MEAT
MIDDLE
BEST END OF NECK OR BEST END
This consists of the first eight ribs of the animal, known as ‘the rack’.
The meat and fat are usually trimmed away from the tops of the bones
before cooking, and this is known as ‘French trimming’. A rack can
be cut between the bones to give lamb cutlets.
LOIN
Can be left as one joint: on the bone for roasting or boned and rolled
into a joint, which is great for stuffing if some of the flank is still
attached. It can also be cut between the bones into loin chops.
SCRAG END
CHUMP
This cut comes from where the loin meets the leg, and can be divided
to produce two chump chops and a small, on-the-bone roasting joint
called the chump end. Alternatively, the whole chump can be boned
and sliced across into lamb steaks, or tied into a nice, plump little joint
t ]\