Over the Gate

Justme · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 1366 Location: Pwllheli

BUTCHER YOUR LAMB (ALSO COVERS MUTTON)

First catch your lamb. This guide is just one way of cutting up a lamb to end up with the traditional cuts of:-

2 x legs 2 x shoulders 2 x neck fillets ? x loin chops ? x saddle chops
I will also cover how to tie a butcher’s slip knot

Necessary items
Lamb Cutting surface (butchers block, table, work surface, door ect ect)
1 x good sharp kitchen knife Hot soapy water & cloths

Desirable items
Meat saw Heavy chopper Boning knife

Hygiene is paramount. Ensure that the area you are working in is clean and free from clutter. All of your equipment should be clean and sharp. Keep meat chilled until you need to work on it. Return meat to the fridge as soon as possible. Try to work in a cool environment out of direct sunlight. Care at this stage will improve the taste and quality of your lamb.

Take a deep breath. The first cut is to remove both the back legs in one piece.
The exact position of this cut is not critical as you might require a long leg (or wish to cut the leg in to two as a later picture shows) or you may wish to have a short leg and more chops / loin. Make the cut all the way round the carcass. If you have a meat saw or cleaver cut through the bone with that. If you do not use a heavy kitchen knife and a wooden rolling pin.

Once you have this joint cut of you can cut them a part by following the natural join between them.
If you have a short leg you can do this with just the knife, on a long leg you will need the chopper / saw. Put the two legs to one side (in the fridge if you can).
Now separate the two halfs of the rib cage

At this point you can proceed to remove the shoulders. With the carcass on its back you can pull apart the front legs and insert a knife into the natural seam between it and the rib cage. Follow this all the way to the back bone. The front legs will come off surprisingly easily. Place with the back legs.
You can now trim the belly flaps following the line of the ribcage. As you get close to the saddle (loin with no ribs) to curve the cut to become parallel with the backbone.
Put to one side with any other trim for mincing later. Now look at the ribs and decided how long you want them to be on your chops. Mark each end with your knife and join the marks up. Then cut with saw of chopper cut ribs into BBQ sized bits.

You can then cut of the neck off at about the third rib. You then fillet the neck following the bones with your knife.

Put fillets with all the other bits.
You should now only have the long loin in front of you.

I prefer to now cut the saddle from the chops just after the last rib.
I then cut the saddle in to aprox 1” thick Barnsley chops.
Then take the loin and cut it lengthways into two loins.

This can then be cut into you chops by following the ribs
(on large lambs each rib on small lambs every other one).

You should now have some thing like this.

Or on a bigger lamb this

Butcher’s knots

First catch your string….
Ensure you are using proper butcher’s string.
Tie a simple knot in the end. Then loop it under the joint. Take the end with the knot in and pass it round the other end the cross over and round the back of its self.

Then down through the loop, you can now pull the long end tight around the joint.
Take the long end and make a loop round your finger, drop this loop over the short end with the knot in it. Pull tight and cut long end off.

Repeat as needed to firm up the joint.

Justme

bodger · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject:

A super useful post for the forum Richard and one that I'm sure that forum members will refer to time and time again in the future. Thanks very much.

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NZPOME · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 2323 Location: New Zealand

Very good! My other half is going to be shown how to do that soon, and probably the killing too......eww! :pale:
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wildgarlic · Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 3

What a great and useful post! One assumes that the lamb was killed between being caught and that first incision

Justme · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 1366 Location: Pwllheli

kaz · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 8:40 pm Post subject:

Great thread Richard

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Den · Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 143

fish · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2597

ive been in the trade for years ,and i can say that was very good!

bodger · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject:

Between Richards and now Dens articles I reckon that should just about cover it. Thanks boys

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fish · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2597

what about goats? :

: :

:

bodger · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject:

Parlez vous Francais ?

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Justme · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 1366 Location: Pwllheli

Den · Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 143

And it's a ruminant, so the TSE reg's still apply

Justme · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 1366 Location: Pwllheli

finnman · Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 95 Location: scotland

Hi,
We have been given a whole lamb that was slaughtered this morning.
We are unsure as to wether we should hang it for a period of time or if, as in the above post it should be butchered immediatly. If it should be hung could someone please tell us the correct way and for how long?