How can I get mutton (not lamb) in the U.S.?

[BrainGlutton]

Mutton is a staple of diet in the UK and, I believe, most English-speaking countries. But it never seems to have caught on in the U.S. I’ve never even seen mutton in an American supermarket; even lamb is hard to find. Does anybody know where I can get some mutton? (I want to try it in chili.)

[Telemark]

My Australian brother-in-law says pretty much everything we sell as lamb in the US would be sold as mutton in Oz. We let the animals get much older and larger than they would there before slaughter.

Lamb is pretty easy to find, every supermarket I’ve ever been in has at least some in the meat section.

[BrainGlutton]

@Telemark

My Australian brother-in-law says pretty much everything we sell as lamb in the US would be sold as mutton in Oz.

From the Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb:

When eaten as meat, lamb is taken from an animal between one month and one year old, with a carcass weight of between 5.5 and 25 kg. The meat of an older sheep is known as mutton.

Milk-fed lamb is from an unweaned lamb, typically 4 to 6 weeks old and weighing 5.5 to 8 kg; this is almost unavailable in countries such as the USA and the UK, where it is considered uneconomic. The flavour and texture of milk-fed lamb when grilled (such as the tiny lamb chops known as chuletillas in Spain) or roasted (lechazo asado) is generally agreed to be finer than that of older lamb. Probably the best area to taste it is in northern Spain, including Asturias, Cantabria, Castile-Leon, and La Rioja.

And from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep#Cuisine:

Chefs and diners commonly know sheep meat prepared for food as lamb or mutton (compare the French word for “sheep”: mouton). The meat of immature sheep, also termed lamb, generally has a reputation as more tender and appears more often on tables in some western countries. Mutton tastes more flavorful but often seems tougher and fattier than lamb. Lamb commonly features in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.

I want mutton for chili because chili meat is supposed to be tough and fatty – and has to be pretty flavorful if it’s not going to overpowered by the spices.

[Askia]

You’re in Tampa – I’d look at some independent Caribbean-Cuban grocers/butcher shops that cater to immigrants. I’ve been to ones in Atlanta that often sell all varieties of lamb, including sausages and perhaps mutton.

[BrainGlutton]

@Askia

You’re in Tampa – I’d look at some independent Caribbean-Cuban grocers/butcher shops that cater to immigrants. I’ve been to ones in Atlanta that often sell all varieties of lamb, including sausages and perhaps mutton.

Thanks! I’ll try that!

I find myself wondering – we do have some sheepherding in this country. What happens to the sheep when they get old? Do they let them die of old age? Slaughter them and throw away the carcass?

[Eva_Luna]

If you can’t find any at the Caribbean butcher, are there any Indo-Pak butchers near you, or other halal butchers? That’s where I buy lamb near me - I’d never asked about mutton, but I bet they know where to find it.

[dwyr]

Mutton is pretty common in western Ky barbecue joints. Anywhere they have burgoo also.

[The_Cat]

what do you mean “when they get old?”

We eat them before they get old, thats how they end up in the supermarket.

Are you talking about sheep raised for wool?

[GorillaMan]

Just a slight point - mutton certainly isn’t common in the UK. (Except for in dodgy kebab shops. And then you’re just glad it’s actually from the correct animal…)

[BrainGlutton]

@The Cat

what do you mean “when they get old?”

We eat them before they get old, thats how they end up in the supermarket.

Are you talking about sheep raised for wool?

Yes. What happens to their bodies? Does anybody know?

[Farmwoman]

I believe culled sheep ultimately end up in your pet’s food. It would be nice if we could afford to let all our ewes die happily in the pasture of old age (12) but the economic truth is that any sheep too old to breed is too expensive to keep.

[Farmwoman]

I should add that old age is only one reason to send a grown sheep to market. Rams that don’t do well in the breeding pen, ewes who don’t breed, have difficult pregnancies, or don’t mother well…these animals become mutton too.

[BrainGlutton]

@Farmwoman

I should add that old age is only one reason to send a grown sheep to market. Rams that don’t do well in the breeding pen, ewes who don’t breed, have difficult pregnancies, or don’t mother well…these animals become mutton too.

But not mutton I could buy, eh? It all goes to pet food?

[Askia]

BrainGlutton. U.S. sanitary and humane standards for livestock slaughtered and sold for human consumption is fairly high. There are exact specifications for such meat, how it is to be treated and transported, after which it does not get sold to humand in the states. In fact, some varieties of goat, sheep, lamb, may flirt with illegal meat crime, because while there are foods out there like what you’re looking for, I have no doubt it is slaughtered and transported in a manner that is illegal in the states and may not be considered safe to eat.

Here’s a revelant cite from Atlanta in 2003. I looked it up after I thought better about my suggestion to go look in Cuban/Caribbean grocers. Be aware – and bon appetit.

[NicePete]

I’m from Western Kentucky and I love mutton. It’s a regional thing.

[BrainGlutton]

@AugestWest

I’m from Western Kentucky and I love mutton. It’s a regional thing.

Where do you buy it? (Or do you raise your own sheep?)