Lamb, the Other Red Meat

What's all the hating on Lamb?

It’s shocking how much baggage lamb has as a protein, especially in the United States. Sometimes I feel like I’m the official Lambassador, spouting to anyone who will listen, the virtues of this delicious alternative to beef. I just adore lamb. I cook it weekly: lamb ragu fusilli, merguez tagine, or the house favorite, lamb carnitas tacos with cilantro tzatziki (recipes coming soon). I’ve even rotisseried two whole lamb in my backyard. One for my 40th birthday, the other..just...cuz. I’m planning a lamb party this summer if you’re in the area.

So what is it about this protein that gets people so flustered?

First, a history lesson.

Domesticated sheep have been part of the human diet longer than any other farm animal. In fact, some archaeologists say that sheep-raising is the oldest form of commerce, starting in Central Asia some 10,000 years ago.

Today, sheep—or lamb as we commonly refer to it in US grocery stores—is still a favorite in the Middle East, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia. At Le Paturage, the fantastic French butcher shop near my aunt’s house, lamb accounts for almost half of sales.