Understanding the various cuts of lamb is key to enhancing your culinary expertise. Each cut offers a unique flavour, tenderness, and ideal cooking method. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the diverse world of lamb cuts, from the versatile neck to the succulent rump.
This is a cheaper cut of meat usually sold as neck rings or chops on the bone, used for stewing, braising, and in traditional dishes like Welsh Cawl or Lancashire Hot Pot. Boneless neck fillets are great for marinating for kebabs, slicing thinly for stir-fries or diced for curries.
Cuts: Neck Fillets.
Best For: Stewing, Braising, Marinating (for kebabs), Stir-Frying, Dicing (for curries)
This is a very succulent, tender roasting joint, available either on the bone or more commonly boned and rolled and sometimes stuffed. You can also get it whole or halved into blade and knuckle sections, both of which are ideal for slow roasting or braising. Shoulder can also be cut into chops and steaks suitable for frying, grilling, and braising.
Cuts: Rolled Shoulder, Shoulder steak.
Best For: Roasting, Slow Roasting, Braising, Frying, Grilling
You can buy this cut as a ‘rack of lamb’ – a roasting joint made up of six or seven rib bones (ask your butcher to remove the backbone for easier carving). But more often you’ll find it prepared as individual lamb cutlets suitable for frying and grilling. Two best end necks facing each other fat side outwards is called a ‘guard of honour’.
Cuts: Racks, Cutlets
Best For: Roasting (as a rack of lamb), Frying, Grilling
This is a relatively cheap piece of lamb and is best used in a stew. Usually, however, the red meat is extracted to make mince.
Cuts: Trimmed, Whole, Mince, Riblets, Medallions
Best For: Stewing (whole or minced)
The leg of lamb is the quintessential roasting joint beloved of Sunday lunchers across the land. You can have it on the bone or boned and rolled. But this versatile cut can also be divided into fillet and shank ends, leg steaks and stir fry strips.
Cuts: Stir fry Strips, Boneless Lamb Leg, Leg Steaks, Whole Leg.
Best For: Roasting (whole or boneless), Stir-Frying, Grilling
The loin is usually divided into loin end and chump end and cut into chops for grilling and frying. It can also be boned completely and pan-fried or stuffed and rolled to produce a roasting joint or cut into individual ‘noisettes’.
Cuts: Valentine Steaks, Noisettes, Loin Chops, Boned and Rolled Loin, Cannon.
Best For: Grilling, Frying, Pan-Frying, Roasting (when boned and rolled)
The lower section of the leg of lamb is suitable for slow moist cooking methods which results in very tender melt-in-the-mouth meat.
Cuts: Shank.
Best For: Slow Cooking, Braising
The rump section is also called the ‘chump’ and you can buy it as chump chops or boneless lamb rump steaks. These are very tender and excellent for frying and grilling. You can also use the boneless rump as a mini-roasting joint.
Cuts: Rump Steaks, Boneless Rump.
Best For: Frying, Grilling, Mini-Roasting (boneless rump)
Understanding these lamb cuts allows you to explore a wide range of culinary possibilities. Whether you’re craving a succulent roast, a juicy chop, or a comforting stew, knowing the right cut and cooking method will elevate your lamb dishes. So, next time you’re in one of our shops, dive into the diverse world of lamb cuts and embark on a culinary journey.
Shop our full range of locally sourced Welsh Lamb here.
