What's Wrong With Lamb These Days, It All Tastes Like Mutton.

[Bruce Banner]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

[i wanna house]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

well if you will buy meat in pub car parks...

[Patfig]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

Interesting. I rarely buy lamb anymore its just too damned expensive.

While we were living in NZ the mutton was a much nicer roast than the lamb, in fact it was delightful, but of course most of the best stuff was exported

[Number79]

I buy lamb chops from costco, juicy and soft and as thick as about 3 tesco chops stacked on top of each other. They only work out about £1 each too.

I am sure that the lamb would also taste fine if you got it from a good local butcher. Supermarket meat has been going down hill for years.

[Bruce Banner]

I buy lamb chops from costco, juicy and soft and as thick as about 3 tesco chops stacked on top of each other. They only work out about £1 each too.

I am sure that the lamb would also taste fine if you got it from a good local butcher. Supermarket meat has been going down hill for years.

We don't have a costco, whatever that is, nor a butcher where you can park closer than half a mile.

Seems like the supermarkets have won and are now driving prices down so that farmers can't economically produce decent lamb. Legs are sometimes okay, but chops are usually disgusting, strong and smelly rather than sweet and delicate.

[Number79]

We don't have a costco, whatever that is, nor a butcher where you can park closer than half a mile.

Seems like the supermarkets have won and are now driving prices down so that farmers can't economically produce decent lamb. Legs are sometimes okay, but chops are usually disgusting, strong and smelly rather than sweet and delicate.

Sounds like you are out in the country. If you could deal with a lamb yourself, butchering not growing, then it could be worth finding a local farm and buying one or half. They dont come fresher than that, farmer will be happy with cash and your freezer will be full.

[blobloblob]

Sounds like you are out in the country. If you could deal with a lamb yourself, butchering not growing, then it could be worth finding a local farm and buying one or half. They dont come fresher than that, farmer will be happy with cash and your freezer will be full.

Usually you can buy whole and half lambs ready butchered - the farm will be able to sort that for you. You will need a chest freezer to fit it all in though; even half a lamb takes up a fair bit of room.

[Number79]

After a quick look around the going rate seems to be about £60 for half a lamb.

Loads of places do meat boxes, packs, specials, bbq packs etc etc The ones that I looked at all deliver.

I am going to have a proper look and think that I may well end up using this option for most of my meat if it costs well and tastes good.

I have to say though that I am quite happy with the meat at costco for the price, the chicken isnt great but everything else is fine.

[Charlie The Tramp Returns]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

Well if you see what the pigs eat on my trips to Norfolk, pork would also be off your menu.

I am informed that much meat is imported from East European Countries today so that Lamb could probably be sheep passed by their sell by date.

[Bruce Banner]

I don't think it's off. New Zealand lamb has always been chilled for months before it reaches our tables and lamb freezes quite well.

I think the problem is that the animals are slaughtered later, because they are worth more having put on more weight but as they are older the meat begins to taste like mutton, not the lamb we are used to.

[RichB]

I have to say though that I am quite happy with the meat at costco for the price, the chicken isnt great but everything else is fine.

Try their boneless thighs.

[profitofdoom]

I don't think it's off. New Zealand lamb has always been chilled for months before it reaches our tables and lamb freezes quite well.

I think the problem is that the animals are slaughtered later, because they are worth more having put on more weight but as they are older the meat begins to taste like mutton, not the lamb we are used to.

Apparently all NZ lamb now goes straight to China where the demand for meat has rocketed.Hence the price hike.Mutton isn't too bad if you choose the right recipe.It needs long,slow cooking.Hotpots or Cassoulets.

[bendy]

The year old paraffin waxed apples got my attention the other week.

Eat the seasons is good to find out what’s local and when (knowledge that globalisation has long since killed):

http://eattheseasons.co.uk/foodseasons.htm

Also agree that local farms are the best place to buy – go for a drive around and chances are you’ll pass loads of farm shops doing half/full lambs, beef, pork, turkey and chicken.

Another site that I’m yet to order from is this:

http://www.shop.osgrowonline.co.uk/

Though this may all fall into the 6 months dead category!

[PrivateerMk2]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

Mutton tastes better than lamb. Lamb tastes of nothing at all, yet costs more. Are you sure you aren't actually being sold lamb for the first time?

[Bruce Banner]

Mutton tastes better than lamb. Lamb tastes of nothing at all, yet costs more. Are you sure you aren't actually being sold lamb for the first time?

[Patfig]

Mutton tastes better than lamb. Lamb tastes of nothing at all, yet costs more. Are you sure you aren't actually being sold lamb for the first time?

I like mutton too, its a mans meat

[Bruce Banner]

I think I've found the answer. To be lamb it must be less than a year old, but spring lamb, the stuff I like, is three to five months old. I bet the supermarkets are selling 364 day old lamb.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqmutton.htm

http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqmutton.htm

[Bosh]

The lamb has been silenced.

Hannibal Lecter: I will listen now. After your father's murder, you were orphaned. You were ten years old. You went to live with cousins on a sheep and horse ranch in Montana. And...?

Clarice Starling: [tears begin forming in her eyes] And one morning, I just ran away.

Hannibal Lecter: No "just", Clarice. What set you off? You started at what time?

Clarice Starling: Early, still dark.

Hannibal Lecter: Then something woke you, didn't it? Was it a dream? What was it?

Clarice Starling: I heard a strange noise.

Hannibal Lecter: What was it?

Clarice Starling: It was... screaming. Some kind of screaming, like a child's voice.

Hannibal Lecter: What did you do?

Clarice Starling: I went downstairs, outside. I crept up into the barn. I was so scared to look inside, but I had to.

Hannibal Lecter: And what did you see, Clarice? What did you see?

Clarice Starling: Lambs. The lambs were screaming.

Hannibal Lecter: They were slaughtering the spring lambs?

Clarice Starling: And they were screaming.

Hannibal Lecter: And you ran away?

Clarice Starling: No. First I tried to free them. I... I opened the gate to their pen, but they wouldn't run. They just stood there, confused. They wouldn't run.

Hannibal Lecter: But you could and you did, didn't you?

Clarice Starling: Yes. I took one lamb, and I ran away as fast as I could.

Hannibal Lecter: Where were you going, Clarice?

Clarice Starling: I don't know. I didn't have any food, any water and it was very cold, very cold. I thought, I thought if I could save just one, but... he was so heavy. So heavy. I didn't get more than a few miles when the sheriff's car picked me up. The rancher was so angry he sent me to live at the Lutheran orphanage in Bozeman. I never saw the ranch again.

Hannibal Lecter: What became of your lamb, Clarice?

Clarice Starling: They killed him and Bruce Banner complained it tasted kinda shit.

[Bruce Banner]

........They were slaughtering the spring lambs...........

.......Bruce Banner complained it tasted kinda shit.

No, they were the good ones .

[Mikhail Liebenstein]

I think I read in the paper this week that most foreign supermarket lamb has been dead 4 months before it hits the shelf!

Best to buy local, grass-fed meat, in season from a good butcher. Even better, find out the names of your local farms and visit them and their websites to buy the best grass-fed meat as soon as they have it.

Here's a great resource:

http://www.seedsofhe...eat/index.shtml

Spot on. If you can a find a local butcher you'll taste the difference. Real meat with meat fibres that gently break away, as opposed to gloppy meat pumped full of water and water binding agents that is months old,

BTW is it me, or is the quality in Sainsbury's absolute rubbish. I accidentally popped into one a while back, and bought some things - they were most awful and not a patch on Waitrose, Ocado, M&S or the CoOp.

[Cinnamon]

Are there any meat experts here?

Nine times out of ten these days, what is sold as lamb tastes like a sheep that has died of old age, strong and nasty tasting. I suppose I'll just have to give up eating it and stick to beef and pork.

A real meat expert is to be found here: http://www.grandin.com/meat/meat.html

Halal slaughter is most likely the reason for the foul meat -- the animals suffer massive amount of stress with this method and so, the meat is tainted by hormones and other substances that are secreted due to fear and the prolonged death battle whilst being fully conscious. The smell of fear doesn't taste nice, and the 'additives' it produces certainly aren't healthy fayre either.

[Number79]

A real meat expert is to be found here: http://www.grandin.com/meat/meat.html

Halal slaughter is most likely the reason for the foul meat -- the animals suffer massive amount of stress with this method and so, the meat is tainted by hormones and other substances that are secreted due to fear and the prolonged death battle whilst being fully conscious. The smell of fear doesn't taste nice, and the 'additives' it produces certainly aren't healthy fayre either.

I think that the adrenaline is one of the things that can taint the meat.

Also it depends on how well and quickly it is dealt with. If it isnt gutted and dressed relatively soon then the meat can end up tasting funky or old.