# Why isn't lamb more popular in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 23, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971 "2024-05-23T14:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/21 "2024-05-23T14:43:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Still wondering how pigs are used as an alternative to pork. Clearly just a poorly written sentence. I read it as why Pork and not Lamb. But as I said, not the real comparison. It was cattle that beat the sheep. > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I’m sure that’s the case, but as we know, the interests of environmental impact and profit margin aren’t exactly a circular Venn diagram. Sadly true, hopefully someday that might change. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/22 "2024-05-23T14:51:55Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sheep compete with Cattle for grazing. Cattle won. Cattle wonder as they graze and they don’t eat grass down the the dirt. Sheep will eat grass down the the roots. Sheep leave the field barren, cows don’t. That is why cattle won the war. Pigs only stink when forced to live in their own feces. Give pigs an open field and they will stay relatively clean and won’t smell. I spent a couple days on a farm in New Zealand that raises cattle, sheep and hogs. The only part I didn’t like was watching 3 month old lambs being rounded up to be sent to market. They were so damn cute. This place was the opposite of the factory farms in the US. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/23 "2024-05-23T14:53:20Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Sheep will eat grass down the the roots. Sheep leave the field barren, What? Are you thinking goats? Sheep are great natural lawn mowers. They don’t do what you say at all. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/24 "2024-05-23T14:55:54Z")
Been told that sheep are better at fertilizing a field than cattle. Don’t think that had anything to with the range wars even if true. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/25 "2024-05-23T14:57:51Z")
That matches everything I’ve heard and read. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/26 "2024-05-23T15:00:00Z")
Sheep will definitely overgraze if they are allowed to do that - in the UK where they are very commonly kept, it’s normal for farmers to have to move them off a field after a while or they will start eating the roots of the grass. Edit: there might be other factors to why this is a problem; sheep can be kept on steep hillsides where it would be unsafe to keep cattle and where the soil may be thin - overgrazing in this context is a serious problem because once the grass is gone, the topsoil washes away - so ‘sheep overgrazing’ is a more perceptible risk, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/27 "2024-05-23T15:02:26Z")
That’s just bad management. In general sheep are pretty friendly to the fields they graze. You can say pretty much the same thing about cows or deer for that matter. Up in Boonville, NY they had deer farms. One of them didn’t plan for moving the deer around and they did a long of damage to the field. But for thousands of years, sheep have been managed without damaging the fields. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/28 "2024-05-23T15:05:08Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > But for thousands of years, sheep have been managed without damaging the fields. Yes. Management is what prevents it. Sheep (and goats and deer) have an arrangement of lips and incisor teeth that are capable of grazing closer to the ground than cows. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/29 "2024-05-23T15:06:46Z")
The folks in New Zealand have been raising sheep for over 150 years as a family business. If they tell me sheep will strip the land, I believe them. Their sheep are moved daily to prevent overgrazing, their cattle stay in the same field from birth to slaughter. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/30 "2024-05-23T15:12:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Why grow cotton instead of shearing sheep for wool? Have you worn a wool shirt? It’s itchy. Wool is an amazing natural fibre and has some amazing properties and insulating performance when wet, but it’s not always as comfortable as cotton for garments that will be in contact with the skin. There are sheep that are bred for softer wool, but they are not as productive for meat. Edit: I don’t want to sound like I have a downer on sheep/lamb - they’re really common here (I can see some from the window as I type this); I love eating lamb and mutton - it’s a really flavourful meat, albeit expensive even here where sheep are very common. I use wool for crafting and it’s also got some interesting properties for gardening (slugs and snails won’t cross it), but there are assorted reasons why sheep/lamb are not popular everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/31 "2024-05-23T15:17:20Z")
If I’m using the OP’s logic. Doesn’t it make more sense to eat the mean ones? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/32 "2024-05-23T15:30:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Pigs are dirty and smelly. They bite and can be mean. I’ve never been attacked by a pork chop. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/33 "2024-05-23T15:33:08Z")
I’ve tried it on a few occasions mostly on vacation in Europe. While I was able to eat it without too much trouble I did not enjoy it at all. I am not much of a meat consumer. I do enjoy a well done, almost burned grilled burger now and then but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/34 "2024-05-23T15:42:52Z")
Twenty years ago, Trader Joe’s sold Australian leg of lamb. These were good-sized roasts, and very reasonably priced. I’d make a roast a couple/few times a year, and then turn the rest into shepherd’s pie. A bit over 13 years ago, my now-wife moved in. She’s not fond of lamb, so it’s no longer on the menu. In any case, the legs of lamb that Trader Joe’s is selling now are _tiny_, and rather expensive IMO. I we go to a restaurant that serves lamb or goat, I’ll always go for the lamb or goat. On the rare occasions that I see lamb steaks at the supermarket, I’ll get one for myself and cook beef for the wife. Ground lamb is easy to get, in case I feel like making **Chefguy’s** lamb nuggets. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/35 "2024-05-23T15:42:56Z")
And now I want a lamb roast. Has anyone ever tried smoking a leg of lamb? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/36 "2024-05-23T15:49:55Z")
I’ve had smoked leg of lamb. A good flavor from the smoky parts, but the lean meat didn’t pick up much smoke flavor throughout, and I think the smoke in this case was overpowering. Maybe try a whole leg some day, use some fruit wood like apple or pear perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/37 "2024-05-23T15:54:25Z")
I’ve driven I-5 through the southern Central Valley enough to know Americans don’t care how bad the smell is on the farm when choosing their type of meat. Cattle ranches smell horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/38 "2024-05-23T15:57:53Z")
Lamb is easy to find in Canada, though it is often imported and is sometimes expensive. I like making gyros, which is surprisingly easy. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/39 "2024-05-23T17:02:43Z")
Everyone seems to go for leg of lamb, but IMO, shoulder is where it’s at - the meat is quite fatty there but that means it cooks very tender ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971/40 "2024-05-23T17:04:02Z")
Well, just my opinion, but lamb is gamey, greasy, smells and tastes like shit. Can’t be saved by no amount of Mint Jelly or spices. And in the field are noisy as Fuck. Wife raised them for years. Don’t miss them at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-lamb-more-popular-in-the-us/1001971.md?page=3)