Lamb Cuts Explained: Your Guide to Cooking Lamb
Want to master the art of cooking lamb? It starts with choosing the right cut for your dish. Lamb is a high-quality meat choice with rich flavor and tenderness, and is a viable alternative to beef. However, many are hesitant to experience lamb's unique flavor simply because they don't know how to select and prepare lamb properly. That's what Piccinini Bros, our century-old butcher shop in New York City, is here for! We can help you choose the proper lamb cut, which makes prep and serving easy. Below, we share what you need to know about the most common lamb cuts and how to select the best one for your desired dish.
Lamb Leg
This large, lean section of meat comes from the lamb’s hind leg quarter. Lamb leg is a versatile cut that can be prepared in many ways, such as roasting, grilling, and pan-frying, making it an excellent first-choice cut for lamb novices. Slice it into sections and serve as a steak with lemon-herb seasoning blends, or cube and skewer it for deliciously tender kebabs.
Popular dishes with this cut: Roasted lamb leg, lamb steaks, lamb kebabs.
Lamb Shoulder
Taken from the large slab of muscle just under the lamb's neck, lamb shoulder has similar meat content as lamb legs, but contains more fat and connective tissue. This results in a cut with rich marbling that creates mouth-watering tenderness when slow-roasted or braised. Lamb Shoulder is versatile and can be slow-cooked (when cut thick for a roast) or pan-fried when cut thinly into individual chops or steaks.
Popular dishes: lamb roast, grilled shoulder chops, marinated lamb steak.
Shank
Lamb shanks are the large, lean, tender muscles that come from the animal’s lower leg. Shank meat is packed with collagen that creates melt-in-your-mouth flavor and fall-off-the-bone tenderness when braised or slow-cooked for several hours. It’s a perfect cut for fall and winter evenings, inviting you to cozy up with this slow-cooked specialty.
Popular dishes: braised lamb shanks, lamb osso buco, lamb tagine.
Rack of Lamb
Rack of Lamb is one of the most tender, flavorful types of lamb you can get, making it one of the most desirable and sought-after lamb cuts at fine dining restaurants. A full rack of lamb includes all eight rib bones and the beautiful meat eye and generous fat cap. It is often French-trimmed, exposing the slender, curved rib bone. This high-quality cut doesn’t need a lot of time to prep; just season with your favorite herb blend and roast. The result is a cut with stunning presentation that instantly uplevels your meal and brings restaurant-quality meat to your home kitchen. It’s also a great holiday alternative to turkey or ham.
Popular dishes: roasted rack of lamb, crown roast (two lamb racks tied together).
Rib Chops
Rib chops are made by slicing a rack of lamb individually to create single chops that include one rib bone, a meat eye, and a fat cap. These servings are also called “lamb lollipops,” as their shape has a distinctive similarity to the candy. Just like a rack of lamb, rib chops are also highly desirable and one of the most popular lamb cuts available. These are a customer favorite and are also easy to prepare.
Popular dishes: pan-seared lamb chops, grilled lamb chops.
Loin Chops
Loin chops are lean and tender, and are one of the most readily available lamb cuts available at butcher shops in New York City. They are portioned into perfect three- to four-ounce servings with an attractive “T” shaped bone that runs through the center, resembling a mini T-bone steak. Loin chops are high-quality and easy to prepare for a wide range of cooks, and are less expensive than rib chops. This tender cut withstands fast, high-heat cooking methods, like grilling, broiling, and pan-frying.
Popular dishes: Grilled loin chops, t-bone lamb steaks.
Buy Lamb Chops Online with Piccinini Bros
Lamb offers endless possibilities and is just as versatile as beef, with a distinct, light, and earthy flavor. From weeknight meals to weekend dinner parties, lamb offers a variety of choices that are just as versatile as beef, with unique flavors. Buy lamb chops online or stop by our New York City butcher shop in Hell’s Kitchen to order your preferred lamb cut today.
