Hello. I am Chef Rebecca Peizer, and today we will be breaking down a whole lamb carcass
into primals, subprimals and common cuts.
But before we begin, let’s learn about the sheep industry.
Sheep are raised throughout the world for wool and milk as well as meat.
There are more than 80,000 sheep farms and ranches in the United States, the vast majority
of which are family-owned and operated.
Sheep are raised in every state, with larger flocks being found in the western states.
Sheep are herbivores and like to graze on an array of grasses, legumes and wildflowers.
Some sheep are marketed directly from the range or pasture while others are grain-finished
for a short time before processing.
Sheep are generally processed at 7 to 10 months of age. The average weight of a sheep headed
for processing is around 135 pounds. The average dressed weight of a lamb is about 70 pounds
– or about one half of the live weight.
Meat from a sheep less than a year of age is called lamb while meat from older sheep
is referred to as mutton.
All American Lamb is either USDA inspected for wholesomeness or inspected by state systems
equal to the Federal government.
The USDA has set five quality grades of lamb:
Prime, Choice,
Good, Utility,
and Cull.
These quality grading classifications are based on maturity, or age, and conformation — that’s
the carcass shape, form and outline — and other quality factors such as color, fat content and texture.
The vast majority of American Lamb will grade USDA Prime or Choice.
The lamb carcass is generally divided into four major primal cuts:
The shoulder, the rack,
the loin, and the leg.
In addition, there is the neck, the foreshank, and the breast or the brisket.
I will now breakdown the carcass into primals and then I will show you some of the
common foodservice cuts from each primal.
First, I will separate the shoulder primal by cutting between the fourth and the fifth ribs.
[Sawing Sound]
I will then remove the neck and the foreshanks from the shoulder.
[Sawing sound]
The next primal – the rack section or bracelet – is then separated from the loin following
the natural curvature between the 12th and the 13th rib.
Thus, the rack section will have eight ribs, leaving no more than one rib remaining on the loin section.
I will now remove the lamb breast section from the rack primal.
[Sawing sounds]
I will separate the loin section from the leg using a straight cut, approximately perpendicular
to the length of the leg, passing anterior to the hip bone and hip bone cartilage.
So, now our carcass has been separated into primals and subprimal sections.
Again, the lamb carcass is generally divided into four major primal cuts:
The shoulder, the rack, the loin, and the leg.
In addition, there is the neck, the foreshank, and the breast or the brisket.
The lamb shoulder is a flavorful and versatile cut – available at an economical price.
Here is the shoulder primal.
The lamb shoulder may be split and purchased whole as a bone-in item or fabricated further
into boneless shoulder roasts such as a BRT – boned, rolled and tied....
or BRN – boned, rolled and netted.
The shoulder also yields chops – such as this blade shoulder chop, from above the spine
crosscut, or arm shoulder chops, from below the spine, as well as riblets.
In addition, lamb shoulder meat can also be used for stew meat or for grind.
The cuts from the shoulder are some of the most affordable lamb cuts and can generate
great profits for a foodservice establishment.
Lamb shoulder is perfect for braising and stewing. It’s also an ideal cut for smoking and barbecue.
Pulled lamb shoulder can be seasoned and served in a variety of ways.
Ground lamb - which is often made from lamb shoulder meat - has grown in popularity in recent years,
and can be used in place of other ground meat in a variety of dishes – from spicy Middle Eastern meatballs,
to American Lamb burgers to pizzas topped with lamb merguez sausage.
Rack of lamb (or rack chops) are common dishes on fine dining menus,
and offer many elegant presentation options.
Here is the rack primal, which is sometimes referred to as "the hotel rack."
The hotel rack can be split into two racks, sometimes also called "rib roasts." The spine,
or the chine bone, and the fat cap are typically removed.
Each rib roast contains eight ribs. Precut rack or rib chops may also be ordered
as single or double chops.
Racks of lamb or rack chops can be ordered frenched, to your specifications, or you may
choose to french the racks in-house. Frenching is the removal of at least 1.5 inches of meat
from the bone ends of a rib roast or rib chops.
The lean meat and fat removed while frenching the rack can be used for grind.
Rack of American Lamb is a premium cut that's naturally tender and flavorful.
Chefs will often add a crust, then roast.... Or marinate, then grill the rack.
Rack of lamb can be served with a variety of sauces – from mint chutney to salsa verde.
The loin primal, sometimes referred to as the "saddle," is tender, flavorful and versatile.
You can split the saddle into two lamb loin roasts. You can also order the lamb loin roast notched.
I can easily cut the roast into individual loin chops.
[Sound of knife hitting cutting board]
You can also order lamb loin chops precut to the desired thickness.
The loin chop is lamb’s version of the t-bone steak.
Sometimes menued as a lamb t-bone or a lamb porterhouse, this juicy chop may be simply
seasoned and broiled or grilled to your customer’s preference.
You can also fabricate the loin primal to produce a boneless lamb loin as well as tenderloin.
You can use the loin for a variety of appetizers, small plates, and entrée dishes.
Likewise, you can cut the tenderloin into medallions or noisettes,
and you can sauté, broil, or grill them for a variety of menu items.
You can also prepare loin meat into kebabs.
An American Lamb leg is perhaps the primal cut that offers the most diverse cuts and menu applications.
The leg may be presented whole, but typically it's fabricated into a variety of cuts.
Let’s walk through the breakdown of a full leg.
You can order a whole leg of lamb like this.....
But it's often ordered as a ¾ cut leg, better known as "leg - sirloin removed."
The ¾ leg is often used at carving stations, especially when the end is frenched for a steamship presentation.
You can separate the sirloin from the top of the leg through the femur bone in the hip area.
You can use the sirloin whole, bone-in, boneless, or as individual chops and cutlets.
Further fabrication of the leg yields the hind shank. You can order the hind shank frenched as well.
So to recap, you can divide the whole leg of lamb into three sections.
After removing the sirloin and the shank, the remaining piece would be called the center leg roast.
You can serve the center leg as a simple whole roast
or sliced into individual bone-in portion cuts known as center leg slices or chops.
You can further fabricate the leg cut to remove the femur bone to create a boneless leg roast.
You can also fabricate the boneless leg to create small individual muscle roasts and dishes.
By following the natural seams within the leg, you can separate the top round from
the bottom round of the leg.
Again, following the natural seams, you can separate the bottom sirloin from the bottom round.
Each of these individual lamb leg cuts lends itself to smoking, roasting or grilling.
Shanks have become a popular comfort-food menu item in recent years.
They require slow moist cooking.
Braising liquids, such as red wine and fruits and vegetables will contribute to the rich and unctuous finished dish.
In addition to the four primals, there are additional cuts such as the neck, the foreshank,
and the breast or brisket section.
The neck is a very price-friendly cut that you can use in braised dishes.
The foreshank, like the hindshank, is perfect for slow cooked and savory braised dishes
which you can flavor in many diverse ways.
The breast or brisket section provides lamb spareribs which are also known
as "Denver Ribs," or individual riblets.
The Denver Ribs are a popular barbecue dish, often smoked and grilled.
In addition, chefs are using the breast meat to create lamb belly and lamb bacon dishes.
Other lamb products available include offal, which is the edible byproduct of the meat carcass.
These include sweetbreads, kidneys, and the liver.
Let’s now review the primals as well as some of the most popular cuts of lamb.
The four primals are:
the shoulder, the rack, the loin, and the leg.
Some of the most popular cuts of American Lamb include:
boneless shoulder roast,
rack of lamb,
rib chops,
loin chops (also called T-bones),
boneless lamb loin,
leg of lamb,
sirloin roast,
hind shanks and fore shanks.
Keep in mind that American Lamb has been raised with quality and freshness in mind.
Locally raised lamb is available for your menus year round.
Its naturally mild flavor blends well with a variety of spices, herbs and marinades, so be adventurous and creative.
Thanks and happy cooking!
For more information about American Lamb, visit www.americanlamb.com