On 4/13/2015 2:54 AM, wrote:
> Lamb used to be a lot more common and reasonably priced. I used to make
> a special lamb curry that was half kidneys -- just try to find lamb kidneys
> in a supermarket meat counter today.

You probably can't find lamb kidneys in a supermarket. I did, however,
get an email from the meat market in town saying they now have lamb
kidneys available. Likely frozen.

Jill

On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 20:51:43 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> On 2015-04-12 20:07, wrote:
>
> >> Or she doesn't like the taste of lamb raised on that particular forage
> >> in Oz. Costco Australian lamb is gamier/lambier than American lamb
> >> from, say, Colorado. Must be what they're grazing on.
> >
> > This is the bit I don't get for some time with sf, or anyone else who
> > thinks that way. There is no single 'lamb farm' in Australia,
> > Australian lamb is raised on a wide range of climates and vegetation,
> > so there is quite a wide variation in the finished product, depending
> > on what region it originated from. And I can't see how all Aus lamb
> > exported to the U.S can always be from the same place. So how can it
> > all taste the same? That doesnt even account for the different breeds
> > of sheep either...
> >
>
>
> Damn it. How many times do you have to be told not to let facts
> interfere with opinions?

Oh, good god. How many times have I said they've probably changed
suppliers? I really don't give a rats ass what some ignorant nobody
on the internet or you, for that matter, think because neither of you
quite obviously can tell the difference.

--

sf

On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 20:32:48 -0500, "cshenk" > wrote:

> sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> > On Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:13:00 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > On Friday, April 10, 2015 at 5:53:02 PM UTC-7, Dave Smith wrote:
> > > > On 2015-04-10 19:55, Janet B wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > In my store, all sizes, $4.49/pound. (Australian lamb) Check
> > > > > out your store.
> > > > >
> > > > Some people seem to have an issue with Australian lamb. I had
> > > > some last year and it was delicious.
> > >
> > > Australian lamb is slaughtered at a younger age than American lamb.
> > > American lamb is larger and more 'muttony' than Australian lamb.
> > > To me American lamb has more flavor and I like the larger size
> > > chops.
> >
> > That is absolutely not true for any lamb I've ever eaten labeled
> > "American". However, a few years ago someone (I think it was Marty)
> > posted the regulations and we had zero parameters for lamb. That was
> > back when Australian lamb tasted awful, so I could only conclude it
> > was so they could import mutton and sell it as "lamb".
>
> USA has no age restrictions on age of the animal and calls it all Lamb.
> Other countries have age restrictions on how you label it. In the USA,
> mutton (3 tooth and past that) is sold as 'lamb'.
>
> USA folks dont eat our own lamb because:
>
> 1- historically priced very high and maintained that way due to the
> cattle industry.
>
> 2- no control on age, you get what you get and the price can be 20$ a
> lb for hogget (dropping now based on imports).
>
> 3- cost has been so high and quality low drove prices up for so long
> that most current shoppers do not know how to cook lamb properly so
> give up after a try or two.
>
> The main problem with the imports is:
>
> 1- USA folks are so used to aged (mutton) that they do not recognize
> the difference.
>
> 2- USA folks have no clue that actually mutton can be superior in the
> right cooking methods for some dishes. Schwarma (sp?) for example will
> not be right with a younger meat.
>
> The current shoulder blade cuts i get are definately mutton level aged
> animals and *perfect* for the curries I use them with.
>

I know what decent lamb should taste like and I know when it doesn't.
My mother used to raise lamb and slaughtered them at the correct age.

--

sf

On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 20:51:15 -0500, "cshenk" > wrote:

> Je_us wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> > On Sat, 11 Apr 2015 00:38:24 -0700, sf > wrote:
> >
> > > On Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:13:00 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> On Friday, April 10, 2015 at 5:53:02 PM UTC-7, Dave Smith wrote:
> > >> > On 2015-04-10 19:55, Janet B wrote:
> > >> > >
> > >> > > In my store, all sizes, $4.49/pound. (Australian lamb) Check
> > out >> > > your store.
> > >> > >
> > >> > Some people seem to have an issue with Australian lamb. I had
> > some last >> > year and it was delicious.
> > >>
> > >> Australian lamb is slaughtered at a younger age than American
> > lamb. American lamb is larger and more 'muttony' than Australian
> > lamb. To me American lamb has more flavor and I like the larger size
> > chops.
> > >
> > > That is absolutely not true for any lamb I've ever eaten labeled
> > > "American". However, a few years ago someone (I think it was Marty)
> > > posted the regulations and we had zero parameters for lamb. That
> > > was back when Australian lamb tasted awful, so I could only
> > > conclude it was so they could import mutton and sell it as "lamb".
> >
> > You're such an idiot.
> > And you'll never, ever, realise just by how much.
>
> She's not an idiot, just a case of never having lived outside the USA
> so has the thought patterns of one who has not lived abroad. 'What she
> sees is how it is' and this is not questioned.
>
> American 'lamb' is normally hogget or mutton by definition elsewhere.
> The few times they get actual baby lamb, they dont knw what to do with
> t and in fact, most do not know what to do with hogget or mutton either.
>
> Don't blame her or others like her. It was a meat prety much not
> available for 50 years or more unless you raised sheep yourself. Before
> then it was available in pockets here and there across the USA but not
> a mainstay.

Jebus is blowing it out his ass again. Mom subscribed to a lamb
journal that said most Australian lamb sold in the USA was what you
call hogget - they used months as a descriptor.

--

sf

On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 23:54:59 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>On Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 5:07:32 PM UTC-7, Je�us wrote:
>> On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 16:11:08 -0400, Susan > wrote:
>>
>>
>> >On 4/11/2015 5:27 PM, Roy wrote:
>> >> I doubt if ANYONE has ever tried to "pawn off" mutton as lamb.
>> >>
>> >> If she found that Australian lamb was "awful" then it was old or not
>> >> handled properly.
>> >
>> >Or she doesn't like the taste of lamb raised on that particular forage
>> >in Oz. Costco Australian lamb is gamier/lambier than American lamb
>> >from, say, Colorado. Must be what they're grazing on.
>>
>> This is the bit I don't get for some time with sf, or anyone else who
>> thinks that way. There is no single 'lamb farm' in Australia,
>> Australian lamb is raised on a wide range of climates and vegetation,
>> so there is quite a wide variation in the finished product, depending
>> on what region it originated from. And I can't see how all Aus lamb
>> exported to the U.S can always be from the same place. So how can it
>> all taste the same? That doesnt even account for the different breeds
>> of sheep either...
>
>Ah, but we're talking about one retailer who has one supplier, the
>Australian Lamb Company Pty Ltd. Do they impose standards on their
>ranchers? Are they perceived to be supplying a consistent product?

One supplier? I was talking about what is available in California, if
not the U.S in general. Well, I was anyway, as this specific topic
('Australian lamb') has been a long running one with sf. But let's
just stick to Costco for now anyway.

I just did some very quick looking around and found this comment:

"The Halal advocates have contacted Costco and verified that they use
seven plants in Australia for the supply of their Kirkland Signature
Australian Lamb"
http://halaladvocates.net/site/our-resources/australia/

Seven plants used for one brand means that they source their lamb from
a diverse range of farms, covering a wide range of environments, if
not the sheep themselves. The lamb can't be all the same...

Just sayin'.

I also just discovered that some Aus lamb is unfortunately being grain
fed:

"It is estimated that approximately 10% of lambs in Australia are
completely lot fed, while around 50% or more are now receiving grain
finishing or supplementary feeding (According to the Sheep Meat
Council of Australia)"

Some friends and I conducted an informal taste test of grain finished
Australian rack of lamb, purchased at Costco for $10.99/lb. and the
grassfed American rack of lamb, which we retail for $21/lb. The grain
finished lamb had a thicker layer of mostly inedible fat, there was
more meat on the rack, yet the taste and consistency were quite
different."
http://www.honestmeat.com/honest_mea...t-on-lamb.html

So again, there is variation with what Aus lamb Costco sells...

If that's not good enough - then a quote from The Australian Lamb
Company (costco supplier):

"Australian Lamb Company’s network of buyers cover Victoria, South
Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania this enables us to guarantee
our customers a constant supply of superb quality lamb"
http://www.austlambco.com.au/quality.html


My original contention was that 'Australian lamb' is not all the same,
and I'll stand by that.



>Lamb used to be a lot more common and reasonably priced. I used to make
>a special lamb curry that was half kidneys -- just try to find lamb kidneys
>in a supermarket meat counter today.

We still see lamb kidneys in some of our supermarkets here in Aus but
they're not in high demand from what I can tell.

Australia does not import mutton and sell it as lamb. American lamb has a very strong gamey taste, the flesh is much darker than Australian or NZ lamb. I think American lamb tastes like something between hogett and mutton.

wrote:
>
> Australia does not import mutton and sell it as lamb. American lamb has a very strong gamey taste, the flesh is much darker than Australian or NZ lamb. I think American lamb tastes like something between hogett and mutton.

Whatever American lamb is (that's all I've ever eaten), I've
always heard that it's mild tasting but I have no other to
compare to. Regardless, I love American lamb. Equal to a good
ribeye steak to me.

Gary wrote:
> wrote:
>>
>> Australia does not import mutton and sell it as lamb. American lamb has a very strong gamey taste, the flesh is much darker than Australian or NZ lamb. I think American lamb tastes like something between hogett and mutton.
>
> Whatever American lamb is (that's all I've ever eaten), I've
> always heard that it's mild tasting but I have no other to
> compare to. Regardless, I love American lamb. Equal to a good
> ribeye steak to me.

i am ok with it when it is well trimmed of fat but otherwise
don't much like it.

when i make it, to me it tastes a bit stronger than beef
and more gamey as the other poster says, but i am ok with
that level of difference from beef.

i've tried several times to make a decent gyros meat but
never come close to what i like (pretty much close to Grecian
Delight but without black pepper in it would be my preference).

as we were just this morning talking of gyros this is a nice
place to post this.


songbird