The names of the different cuts of meat are often confusing to people living outside of Great Britain as they vary in different countries around the world. This guide should help you identify cuts as similar as possible, that are available in your neck of the woods, to the ones in the lamb recipes on this site.
Lamb is the meat from a sheep under one year old. Meat from sheep older than this is called mutton. Lamb should be light in colour and firm in texture. The fat should be firm and white and there should be a fair proportion of it in the joints.
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Best End of Neck
Sold as individual cutlets or as a roasting joint. Two joints are used for a Crown Roast. Suitable to grill, fry, braise or roast. |
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Breast Riblet
Excess fat should be trimmed off before cooking. Suitable to marinate then grill, barbecue or roast. May also be sold as a boned, rolled and stuffed joint. Suitable to roast or braise - fat should be skimmed off during cooking. |
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Chump Chop
Lambs' equivalent to rump steak. May be sold with or without the bone. May be more expensive than loin chumps but chump chops are larger and meatier. Suitable to grill, fry, barbecue or bake in foil parcels. |
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Double Loin Chop
Suitable to grill, fry or roast. |
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Kidney
Suitable to grill, fry, braise or use on kebabs. |
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Lamb Cubes
Usually cut from the shoulder, leg or chump. For kebabs, marinate first to help tenderise the meat. Suitable to casserole or use on kebabs. |
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Leg Joint
Sold as a whole leg, the fillet end or the knuckle end. Boneless joints are also available. Suitable roast or boil. |
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Leg Steak
A relatively expensive cut but cooks quickly and is very lean and tender. It may be necessary to brush lightly with oil to keep it moist when cooking. Suitable to grill, fry or barbecue. |
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Liver
Milder than ox or pigs' liver. Cheaper than calves' liver. |
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 Loin Chop
Suitable to grill, fry or roast. |
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 Minced Lamb
Ideal for meat loaf, burgers, meat balls and stuffed vegetables. |
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 Neck Fillet
A boneless, lean, tender cut. Good value for stir fry or cubes. Suitable to grill, fry, stir fry or use on kebabs. |
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 Noisette
A boneless loin chop. Suitable to grill, fry or roast. |
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 Rolled Shoulder
May be sold with the bone in. Least expensive of the roasting joints but fattier. Unless rolled it is difficult to carve. may be sold ready stuffed. Suitable to roast. |
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 Valentine Steak
Cut from a boneless single loin. |
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