Lamb Cuts
Learn more about lamb and choose the right cut every time.
Find out everything you need to know.
Neck
As a well-used area, neck cuts contain a high amount of connective tissue which imparts rich flavor and tenderness when cooked low and slow.
Neck rosette
Neck rosettes are cut with the central bone left in. This cut is best suited to moist, low and slow cooking methods to break down the connective tissue and allow the bone to impart flavour resulting in pull-apart tenderness.
Neck chop
Neck chops are prepared from a bone-in lamb neck. This economical cut can be used for stews and curries, cooked slow over low heat, which breaks down the connective tissue, imparting a flavour and tenderness.
Neck fillet roast
The neck fillet roast is boneless and sits between the neck and the square cut shoulder. As a well used muscle it contains a high amount of connective tissue. It should be trimmed of any excess surface fat, then cooked using a low and slow method. Melting the connective tissue infuses flavour and provides a tender result.
Forequarter
There is one forequarter per animal incorporating the neck, shank, breast, and shoulder. As a well-exercised area, forequarter cuts suit slow, moist cooking; revealing tender and flavoursome meat.
Bone-in shoulder
Like leg, the shoulder works hard, so it is full of flavour but can be tough if undercooked or cooked too quickly. Using this cut of lamb with the bone in, imparts additional flavour.
Easy carve shoulder
Easy carve shoulder is a boneless roast derived from the shoulder of lamb. This cut is typically tender and succulent when slow-cooked or roasted.
Boned and rolled shoulder
Cut from the shoulder boneless and trimmed in preparation for cooking, then tied and ready for roasting, this tender cut is ideal when cooking for a few people.
Forequarter rack
For an economical alternative to the loin rack, the forequarter rack is prepared from the shoulder; the blade is removed and the ribs trimmed and exposed, creating what looks like a row of ‘chops’. The forequarter rack contains plenty of connective tissue, so is best suited to moist, slower cooking methods.
Forequarter chop
The forequarter chop is prepared from the side of the lamb. It’s made up of many cuts including the neck, shank and shoulder rack. This economical cut is best slow cooked using either a moist method, such as braising or stewing, or by slow roasting. Forequarter chops are the largest lamb chops available.
Rack
The rack contains rib bones, backbone and the thick, meaty rib eye muscle. Reaching its full potential when roasted, the rack is usually further prepared by the removal of the cap and frenching the bones.
Rack
The rack contains rib bones, backbone, and thick, meaty rib-eye muscle. Reaching its full potential when roasted the rack is usually further prepared by the removal of the cap and frenching the bones.
Cutlet
Cutlets are simply cut from the rack – versatile and easy to cook, cutlets are tender and suit high-temperature cooking methods such as pan-fry and grill.
Short loin
Tender and versatile, short loin cuts respond best to high-heat roasting and grilling. A short loan can be roasted whole or removed from the bones to stuff and roll; the external layer of fat around this cut imparts flavor and helps prevent the roast from drying out.
Loin chop
Also known as the lamb ‘T-bone’, this chop is portioned from the short loin that sits towards the back of the lamb, between the leg and the rack. With their tenderness, loin chops are ideal for barbecuing and best suited to high-heat cooking methods.
Boned and rolled loin roast
With the bone removed, a boned and rolled loin roast is quicker to cook and carve and has the added option of room for stuffing. The external layer of fat around this cut imparts flavor and helps prevent the roast from drying out.
Eye of loin
The eye of the loin consists of the entire eye muscle, or whole loin, that lies along the spine. A muscle least used for movement, the eye of the loin is as tender as the tenderloin. It’s perfect for stuffing and trussing as it has a flap long enough to wrap around the stuffing to meet the eye muscle.
Chump
There are two chumps per animal offering tender, flavorsome, and textural roasts, steaks, and chops.
Chump chop
Chump chops are equivalent to a beef rump steak left on the bone and are slightly bigger than cutlets or loin chops. These cuts are suited for barbecue and pan-fry cook methods and are tender with extra flavour imparted from the bone.
Rump
Rump is renowned for its tenderness and flavour, best suited for roasting, or diced for dry heat cooking methods.
Leg
Tender and flavoursome, the leg is traditionally roasted whole or deboned and butterflied; however, its three distinct muscles – knuckle, silverside and topside, can be sub-primaled to create a range of smaller roasts, steaks and chops.
Leg bone-in
A thin layer of fat is generally left on top of the leg to keep it moist and juicy during cooking. Roasting with the bone in adds flavour and delivers tender meat. For the best result sear in a hot pan or grill first, then transfer to the oven and finish cooking.
Butterflied leg
The butterflied leg is prepared from a boneless leg, chump-on, by opening the leg and cutting through seams and muscle to create a butterfly shape. Perfect for the barbecue, a butterflied leg cooks quicker than a full lamb leg. However, because each subprimal muscle is left intact, it’s not an even thickness.
Easy carve leg
Easy carve leg comes from the hindquarter and is prepared by removing the bone and surrounding fat before frenching the shank. Tender and firm, the best results are achieved when this cut is seared in a hot pan/ grill first, then transfered to an oven to finish.
Mini roast
Providing all the benefits of a larger roast, the lamb mini roast is ideal when smaller portions are required. With its quicker cooking time, this lean cut is best roasted to no more than medium.
Tenderloin
Because it comes from an area that does very little work, tederloin has virtually no fat or connective tissue and is one of the most tender cuts of lamb. Delicate in flavour, tenderloin suits gentle, quick and dry cooking methods to retain its juiciness.
Tenderloin
Tenderloins can be roasted whole or sliced into medallions for various dishes. Each tenderloin is usually a good portion for one person.
Shank
Shanks come from the area of meat and bone that sits above the knee joint and below the leg. Lamb shanks are almost always slow cooked in liquid to deliver flavour from the bone and pull-apart tenderness.
Shank
Lamb shanks are almost always slow-cooked in liquid to deliver flavor from the bone and pull-apart tenderness. Although shank takes longer to prepare, its unique flavour and texture is definitely worth it. Trimmed shanks, or drumsticks, have had the end of the shank bone scraped clean of excess fat and meat to expose the bone.