Lamb — Cuts (reference)

This chop is a little tough but very aromatic. It is usually braised, but can also be roasted in the oven or grilled.

Shoulder chop. Oven, grill or pan-fried.

What in Bulgaria we call the shoulder (pleshka). It can be boned and rolled up. It tends to dry out when roasted in the oven — it must be covered with foil or cooked in a covered clay pot.

Neck chops — braised after searing, or in a covered clay pot.

Lamb rack — 8 ribs. A portion can be 3 cutlets, or 16 cutlets can be shaped into a crown.

Cutlet — can also be 2 ribs for a juicier cut. If the bone is trimmed clean it is called a French cutlet.

Lamb loin steaks — from the loin/backstrap. Cut thicker so they stay juicier. They can be braised, roasted, grilled or pan-fried.

Whole loin. If the other side is taken too, the whole "saddle" can be roasted like a leg. A steak cut across the whole saddle is a favorite of the English. If boned, it can be rolled up.

This steak is from the leg — excellent for roasting or grilling.

Lamb leg, can be boned.

The top part of the leg — makes excellent steaks, but has quite a few small bones. Best to bone it before cutting steaks. It can be rolled, or roasted "butterflied" — spread out flat.

Ribs — marinated and roasted in the oven or grilled.

Shank — can be boned and braised, covered, together with the neck chops.

They have quite a bit of fat, but are good for marinating and grilling.

Mince — ideal for stuffed vine leaves and for... kebapche; yes, the real kebapche are made from lamb.

Trimmings — covered in a clay pot over low heat, becomes juicy and mmmmmm!

Which animal is a lamb? They are born in January, and as long as they are suckling (6 weeks) they are lambs. Once they move to fodder or grass it is a different story. But until autumn, even though some manage to reach 25-28 kilograms, they can still be called lambs. After September they are counted as hoggets (shilета), and once they winter over — sheep. Right now, though, up to Easter they are lambs. Still, ask — it should be at most 7-8 kilograms net, i.e. 13-14-15 kg live weight. Otherwise the fat takes on THAT characteristic aroma.

Lamb is roasted at NO MORE than 170 degrees Celsius (315 degrees Fahrenheit), otherwise it becomes tough, however young it is, and smells gamey.

Evidently our ancestors knew this well, as did the ancestors of other peoples, because lamb is usually roasted in a slow oven, in a covered clay pot, or seared very quickly on the grill. This is also the secret of a good cheverme — the lamb on the spit "sees" the embers from a distance and is turned constantly for 7-8 hours.