Cut guide

Lamb, cut by cut.

Pasture-raised hair sheep: mild, clean-tasting and quick to cook. If you can cook beef, you can cook lamb. Here is every cut we sell and the one way to cook it that works.

Lamb basics

Five things, then you’re set.

Milder than you think

Hair-sheep lamb does not have the strong flavor people remember from wool-breed lamb. If you tried lamb once and didn’t love it, try this.

Temperature

USDA guideline for whole cuts is 145°F with a three-minute rest; ground lamb is 160°F. Many cooks pull chops and roasts at 130–135°F for pink, and the temperature keeps climbing while it rests. A $15 instant-read thermometer ends the guessing.

Thaw in the fridge

Chops and ground: overnight. A leg or shoulder: two days. Never on the counter. In a pinch, sealed in cold water, an hour or two.

Season simply

Salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil. Rosemary or thyme if you have it. That is the whole list. Lamb does not need help.

Rest it

Five minutes for chops, fifteen for a roast. Slice against the grain.

What we sell

The cuts.

Every package is labeled with the cut, the weight and the price per pound. Availability changes week to week; the case tells the truth.

Leg of lamb

Bone-in or boneless roast
Sunday roast. Feeds six to eight.

Roast at 325°F to 135°F inside, rest 15 minutes, slice thin.

Shoulder

Roast or chops
Slow and forgiving. Pulls apart like pork.

Braise or roast low at 300°F for 3–4 hours until it shreds.

Loin chops

Small T-bones
Weeknight. Four minutes a side.

Hot pan or grill, salt and garlic, to 135°F. Rest 5 minutes.

Rib chops

The rack, cut into chops
The tender one. Guests.

Sear hard, finish in a 400°F oven to 130–135°F.

Shanks

Fore and hind
Braised in red wine or stock. Fall-off-the-bone.

Brown, cover with liquid, 325°F for 2½–3 hours.

Ground lamb

1 lb packs
Burgers, meatballs, tacos, shepherd’s pie.

Cook like ground beef, to 160°F. Cumin and mint are friends.

Stew meat

Cubed shoulder
Stew, curry, kebabs.

Brown, then simmer 1½–2 hours until tender.

Ribs

Spareribs / breast
Low and slow, like pork ribs.

Rub, 275°F for 2½ hours, glaze at the end.

Three to start with

No recipe card needed.

Each of these is one pan or one pot. They are the three things we cook most.

Sunday · 2 hours

Leg of lamb, roasted

Feeds 6–8. Leftovers make the week.

  1. Take the leg out an hour ahead. Rub with olive oil, a lot of salt, pepper, 4 crushed garlic cloves and rosemary.
  2. Roast at 325°F on a rack. Figure about 20 minutes a pound.
  3. Pull at 135°F inside for pink (145°F if you prefer it medium). Rest 15 minutes under foil.
  4. Slice thin against the grain. Pour the pan juices over.
Weeknight · 15 minutes

Chops in a hot pan

Loin or rib chops. Two per person.

  1. Pat dry. Salt and pepper both sides.
  2. Cast iron, high heat, a little oil until it shimmers.
  3. 3–4 minutes a side without moving them. Add a knob of butter and a garlic clove for the last minute and spoon it over.
  4. Rest 5 minutes. Done.
Cold night · 3 hours, mostly waiting

Shanks in the oven

One shank per person. Fall-off-the-bone.

  1. Salt the shanks and brown them hard in a Dutch oven. Set aside.
  2. Soften an onion, a carrot and 3 garlic cloves in the same pot. Add a can of tomatoes and enough stock (or red wine and stock) to come halfway up the shanks.
  3. Cover. 325°F for 2½–3 hours until the meat pulls from the bone.
  4. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes or white beans with the pot liquid.

Ground lamb cooks exactly like ground beef. Burgers, meatballs, tacos, shepherd’s pie. Cumin, mint and feta are its friends.

Ready to cook?

Find a case near you.

Crow Wing Food Co-op in downtown Brainerd today. Self-checkout coolers next.

Find it near you