On the lamb.....

[freddychef]

Hi--I'm about to get a lamb butchered for home use and am wondering if there are some other cuts besides the ones I am use to using in restaurants that I may look into? I remember from an earlier post about lamb that someone mentioned saddles or porterhouse style chops--what about double chops?

I am use to getting the following at work---racks, tenderloins, shanks, legs shoulders...what should I be looking for to maximize my yield? I know that here, the local butchers do not want to get into grinding--they find it time consuming--so you get a lot of stew. Any ideas will ge greatly appreciated.

ps--I have a piece of bear but have never cooked it. Any suggestions?
Freddychef

`one lamb down`

[Suzanne]

I'm afraid I can't help you with the lamb Q, but here's what another member posted (elsewhere) about bear:

Ten or twelve years ago I was given some bear meat. Didn't know how to cook it so called a number of friends - all hunters. All of them either didn't know or said bear wasn't fit to eat. It was a good looking piece of meat about 2"-2 1/2" thick.

I marinated it for around 12 hours (as I remember) in EVOO, wine vinegar, and onions. Maybe some garlic and rosemary too. I then roasted it (in the oven) until it was around medium rare. It was DELICIOUS! And tender. Some of the best meat I've ever had.

This was from Nick. I hope he won't mind that I took it off eGullet and posted it here.

[shroomgirl]

I have the chops cut 2", the leg and shoulder boned out, shanks, ribs for apps, liver, kidneys, heart for pates and meat pies, our processors do grind but Maugrex is a great spicy lamb sausage.
I'm getting down to the last bits but deer season has wiped out my lamb supply until Dec 11.....My bro just killed to deer and we're getting ready to process them into mainly summer sausage and jerky.....so much meat so little freezer space.....I told him "if you kill it you gotta eat it."

[Pongi]

These "italian" options may not be so popular in US, but you can surely maximize your yield with:
-The mixed entrails (liver, heart, lungs, kidneys) cut in small pieces, dipped in flour, sauteed in butter and seasoned with chopped garlic, parsley and S&P. If you like, when done you can add a sauce made with beaten egg yolks and lemon juice to get a "Fricassea". This dish, called "Bianco e Nero" (Black and White) is typical of Ligurian cooking.

Want to maximize more?
Have the lamb head cut in half lenghtways, season it with plenty of chopped garlic, parsley and/or other fresh herbs, S&P, EVOO and bake it at 350° until done. If you're not too fussy or afraid of brain viruses, it's really yummy

Pongi