American Lamb

Tonight I made an easy, delicious lamb dish that I used to make often in New Zealand (see recipe below). It turned out great, except the lamb was, well, different.

Because I try to eat as local as possible, I bought lamb from the U.S. at the grocery store today, even though my eyes wondered over to the New Zealand lamb. There were not as many different cuts to choose from as there are in New Zealand and the chops were huge! The average American lamb weighs about 135 lbs when it is slaughtered, which is considerably larger than lambs in other countries. This results in larger cut-sizes and a higher meat-to-bone ratio. Apparently Americans like their lamb super sized too.

Once everything was cooked and we sat down to eat, I noticed the lamb was extremely tender and rather bland. I barely had to chew and it actually tasted more like beef. There was none of the distinct gamey taste that I remember from my lamb dinners in New Zealand. This is because American lambs are "finished" (fattened) on grain, making the meat more tender and milder in flavor. Apparently Americans enjoy this non-lamb-tasting lamb over natural grass-fed lamb and over 80% of restaurants in the U.S. serve American lamb. Great for the American meat (and the government subsidized grain) industry, bad for lambs and humans.

Sheep are ruminants whose digestive systems are meant to process grass, not grain. Besides, there are numerous health benefits to eating meat from animals that have been grass-fed. According to various research studies, the meat and milk from grass-fed ruminants contains more conjugated lineolic acid (CLA), vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, and vitamin A than the meat and milk from grain-fed animals. CLA and omega-3 fatty acids are good fats with anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and anti-fat properties.

I prefer the chewy, gamey grass-fed lamb. I like to know that I'm getting my vitamins and that I'm eating something distinct, not some bland, spongy meat product. Besides, I might as well eat chewy meat while I'm young and still have all my teeth!

Coriander Lamb

1 lb diced lamb
1/2 T coriander, crushed and soaked in warm water 10 minutes
1/2 t whole cumin seed
Salt & Pepper
1/4 t cayenne powder

Olive oil
1 medium onion, julienne
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Marinate lamb in spices for up to 2 hours.

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add spiced lamb mixture and cook 10-15 minutes, until lamb is cooked through.

Serve over saffron couscous with chopped cilantro.