Lamb and Mutton

Sheep or llama? is believed to have been domesticated sheep just before the cow and the horse. Its main ancestor is probably the Asian mouflon, but other species may have been used in crosses for the animals we know today. There are now more than 200 species that have very different characteristics from each other. So much so that some animals are more like goats or gazelles, while rather more reminiscent of the Lama.


Wool, leather, milk and meat. For a long time, the sheep is the main animal husbandry in Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Is that it provides wool, leather, milk and meat. In addition, it can survive with little and adapt to the most difficult climates. In the Middle Ages in Europe, it was in huge herds. It was introduced in Latin America by the Spaniards and was quickly adopted by the local people.

Sheep For centuries, the sheep was the meat consumed in England. This is the English produced a lot of wool and he had to use the rest of the animal, one day or another. By necessity, this culinary habit is more or less imposed on Quebec after the Conquest. However, after the Second World War, wool prices have collapsed, sheep pastures disappeared and the meat became scarce. When the lamb arrived on the markets and fine restaurants of Quebec, there are many who did not want to touch it, fearing the taste of sheep that had a bad reputation.

Tips
- Choose categories of lambs on the market are based on the age or weight of the animal lamb for smaller, heavy lamb for the biggest and between the two, light lamb . It is heavier than the more commonly found on the stalls of butchers lamb. Its flesh is pink and supported its strong flavor, while the flesh of the lamb is almost white and a blander taste.

- The most popular pieces are the chops (grilling in a pan or on the grill) and leg (the leg that is roasted in the oven or on the pin). You can also make kebabs (kebabs from the Middle East). For stews, it chooses instead to the shoulder, less tender. The square of lamb, they are not parts chops.

- The fresh lamb. lamb is found frozen year-round in most grocery stores, but fresh lamb is harder to find. As for mutton, if it is easily in Europe and the rest of the world, it is much rarer in America.

Express recipe ideas
Cooking. As with all meats, lamb and mutton have more flavor if you cook with the bone. Lamb offers maximum flavor when slightly pink: 68 ° C (155 ° F) on the thermometer inserted into the meat.

- The leg. A very simple way to prepare is to make slits in the meat with a knife and insert pieces of garlic . Then brush the piece of mustard (generously) and sprinkle with thyme or rosemary dried. Bake at 240 ° C (465 ° F). Bake 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on its size and desired doneness. Dew meat does not exceed 66 ° C (140 ° F). Let stand 10 minutes. Serve on hot plates because the fat of the lamb freezes on contact with a cold surface.

- Trendy North Africa. Fry the lamb pieces in oil olive , and bake in the oven at about 150 ° C (300 ° F) in a thick pan and sealed. They simmered with garlic, the onion , various spices (pepper, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, paprika), zest lemon and vegetables.

Health benefits of lamb and mutton
- Lamb is a red meat rich in protein, vitamins and minerals . It is nutritious . But it is a fatty meat, even if you remove the visible fat. Nearly half of that fat is "monounsaturated" and "polyunsaturated", that is to say, good for the health category. The other half, by cons, type is "saturated", which is known for its adverse effects on health. For this reason, it is a meat consumed in moderation.

- Featured nutrients  : phosphorus , iron , zinc , vitamin B2, vitamin B12 .