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Lamb is the meat from a young sheep - up to about a year old - and can vary in flavour according to where the animal was raised and the foods it was given. Choose cuts with firm, creamy-white fat and moist looking flesh with no discernible smell. As a general rule, the younger the animal, the paler the meat.
Some cuts of lamb are naturally tender, others have a more connective tissue or fat and tend to be tougher. Parts like the lower leg and shoulder where the muscles have the most exercise are therefore best suited to long, slow cooking, whereas cuts from the back are more lean and tender making them ideal for quick cooking and serving rare – or pink.
Best end of neck / rack of lamb
A best end of neck has six or seven small chops, which makes it the perfect joint to serve for two people. A trimmed best end of neck is often called a rack of lamb and tends to be fairly expensive. Cutlets are made by cutting through the bone and separating the chops. Noisettes can be made by boning best end chops and tying them into neat rounds. This cut of lamb is extremely tender and only needs minimal cooking.
Breast is one of the cheapest lamb cuts and comes from the belly of the animal. It is very fatty, but has lots of flavour and is often sold rolled around a stuffing and tied for roasting. Well-trimmed meat from this cut is also used for mince, burgers or kebabs.
