Lamb and mutton are of course the names given to the red meat taken from the sheep. The distinction between the two is dictated by the animal’s age. A lamb is under 1-year-old and is generally much more tender than mutton.
The meat is popular throughout Central Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, but also commonly produced in Oceania. A lambs red meat has a distinct flavour, which comes about because of fatty acids which aren’t found in chicken or beef.
The meat is versatile and found in many different dishes around the globe.
Rogan Josh
A curry of Indian origin, the Rogan Josh is a popular option for lovers of lamb. The curried meat takes both its flavour and colour from the alkanet flower as well as Kashmiri chillies.
Flavouring the lamb with garlic, ginger and other aromatic spices, the meat is slow cooked in a tomato-based sauce. The deep red colour and creamy tomato curry sauce is full of intense, aromatic spices and flavour.
Follow this link for a great step-by-step slow cooked Lamb Rogan Josh.
Mansaf
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan, but has a history steeped deeply in Arabian culture. The dish entails cooking lamb in a sauce made with Jameed, a fermented, dried yoghurt. Rogan Josh has a distinct fermented, salty flavour and is traditionally served with rice.
Click here for a traditional Jordanian Mansaf recipe.
Tharid Lamb Stew
This Arabian dish is increasingly popular throughout the holy month of Ramadan. Compiled of a lamb and vegetable stew, the broth is served over regag, a cracker-like bread which soaks up all the juices. Cooked over several hours, the tender meat of the lamb is combined with a thick, rich and spicy stew.
Here’s a great recipe for Tharid Lamb Stew.
Moroccan Lamb Kebabs
No lamb line-up would be complete without a lamb kebab. Kebabs are enjoyed all over the world and come in many forms. The Turkish döner meat, processed and shaved from a giro, has been a revolution in the world of fast-food.
The shish-type kebab, however proves to be much more wholesome. With chunks of meat, seasoned and grilled on skewers, much like the Omani Mishkak. The chunks of lamb, skewered, are punctuated with your choice of vegetables or mushrooms.
Served on their own or with bread, the lamb kebab is perhaps the best way to enjoy the meat.
At MLS, we serve everything from lamb cuts to carcass. Bone-in or bone-out, our cubed lamb is perfect for curries. Want to expand your lamb dishes, why not sample some from New Zealand, Australia or Somalia. Follow this link for our full selection.