Cuts of Lamb and Serving

Ideal Cooking Style: Slow roast
Affordability: $$

Leg or Sirloin

Made from the hind legs, lamb sirloin (or leg of lamb) is a delicious cut that’s both lean and packed with flavor. While you might be worried that “lean” is code for “tough,” that really doesn’t have to be the case. The key is to pump the brakes, slow down, and take the right approach for your specific cut and dish. You can purchase it without the shank bone (American style), or with the bone (French style), cooked as either a tied roast or opened wide with the “butterflied” approach. There’s not a drastic difference here, but you get a little more flavor with the bone left in. No matter which style you prefer, we recommend a slow roast, followed by a rest period of 15-20 minutes so that those exquisite juices will saturate the meat rather than your cutting board.

Recipes:
Wood Grilled Lamb & Asparagus
Lamb Sirloin Crostini
Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb

Ideal Cooking Style: Grill, broil, or pan fry
Affordability: $$$

The Loin

Delicious, elegant, and tender, lamb loin (sometimes called “the saddle”) is a popular cut. You have options too, whether you prefer a boneless loin chop, loin roast, or the classic T-bone lamb chop, readily available at most local meat counters. This may be an exceptional cut, but don’t let that intimidate you. Preparation is simple, as long as you watch your cook time/duration carefully. It’s easy to overdo it! Aim for a nice, pink medium.

Recipes:
Grilled Sonoma Lamb Loin Chops
Lamb Chops with Fresh Fruit Salsa
Lamb Loin Chops with Minty Pea Puree

Ideal Cooking Style: Start slow, cooking with an oven or grill, rendering down the fat and connective tissues. Finish with a flash of high heat, adding that sweet BBQ crunch on the exterior. Try a glaze for extra flavor!
Affordability: $$$

Ribs & Racks

Lamb ribs are incredibly versatile. When the chop is left attached to the bone, you have the prized Rib Rack or Rib Chop. This portion comes from the upper section of the rib cage, and are delicious and tender and can be cooked similarly to pork spare ribs. Lamb Ribs, located further down the rib cage, are best cooked low and slow for tenderness. Ribs can also be Frenched which is where a few inches of meat is removed from the end of the bones to create a beautiful presentation. A Crown Roast is formed by curving and tying two Frenched racks together to form a crown. And Lamb Lollipops are single chops cut from the rack roast and make a great appetizer or stunning entree.

Recipes:
Grilled Rack of Lamb with Fig Vinaigrette Recipe
BBQ Bourbon Grilled Lamb Ribs
Smoked Memphis-Style American Lamb Riblets
Lamb Ribs with Honey-Balsamic Glaze
Grilled Lamb Lollipops with Salsa Verde

Ideal Cooking Style: While you can slow roast if you’d like, you can also shorten the cook time by pan frying or grilling. Let the meat come to room temperature, grill or fry a few minutes per side, and then let it rest before cutting. Go for a medium to medium-rare for the most tender results.
Affordability: $$

Shoulder

The shoulder chop, also called blade and arm chop, is a flavor-packed cut from (you guessed it!) the shoulder of the lamb. One benefit to this particular portion is that you don’t have to dedicate a huge amount of time to cooking, like you do for other cuts that need a low-and-slow approach. You can treat the shoulder much like you would a good steak: use a rub, use a marinade, or keep it simple with salt, pepper, and olive oil, then cook to taste.

Recipes:
One Pot Lamb Shoulder Chops with Rice
Mexican Style Pulled Lamb
Grilled Lamb BBQ Sandwich
Grilled Steakhouse Lamb Pizza

Ideal Cooking Style: Slow cooking, stews, and braising.
Affordability: $

Lamb Shank

Looking for a budget-friendly cut of lamb that’s seriously delicious? The lamb shank, found on the lower part of the back legs, is a real winner. It has a high level of collagen (tougher connective tissue), but that doesn’t have to be an issue if you use the right preparation techniques. In fact, time plus heat plus collagen can yield some incredible flavors.

Recipes:
Instant Pot Lamb Shanks with Red Wine
Zinfandel Braised Lamb Shanks
Braised Lamb Shanks

Ideal Cooking Style: Treat it like beef, grilling patties to taste (we recommend medium).
Affordability: $

Ground Lamb

Mild and delicious, ground lamb is a medley of different cuts (shoulder, shanks, fattier breast, flank, etc.) and is mostly sold in grocery stores as an 80/20 blend. You can treat it just like a regular hamburger, or accentuate its unique attributes by introducing non-traditional burger flavors. Think mint, feta, Tzatziki, and more bold Mediterranean vibes. Ground lamb also works beautifully in Shepherd’s Pie, meatballs, meatloaf, or any other favorite recipes that typically call for ground beef.

Recipes:
Lamb Meatballs
Lamb Burgers with Arugula Pesto
Classic Shepherd’s Pie