Mutton shoulder comes from a mature ewe and requires longer cooking than lamb. It can be prepared in various ways and is rated based on fat to meat percentage.
Shoulder of mutton is a specific cut of meat from an adult sheep. In different parts of the world, the shoulder area of sheep is defined in different ways. In some places, such as the United States, the shoulder is the forequarter of the animal, excluding the foreleg. The shoulder is defined elsewhere as the front leg and shank of the animal. Mutton shoulder can be prepared in a variety of ways, but as mutton is tougher than lamb, it requires longer cooking times to become tender.
Although mutton is considered meat from a sheep that is over a year old, most of it comes from ewes that are at least two years old. Ewes one year old and younger are considered lambs and not rams. A sheep that is raised to be slaughtered for mutton might be fed grain or kept indoors, or it might be allowed to roam free and eat grasses and other vegetation.
Ewes that are slaughtered after the spring and summer months generally have broader or leaner shoulders than ewes that are slaughtered at other times of the year. The sheep could graze freely during the hottest months of the year. In the winter months, they must be kept under cover.
The mutton comes from a mature ewe, so it needs to be cooked for a longer period of time than a shoulder of lamb would be cooked. This will ensure that the meat is not too tough. Some people say that although shoulder of mutton is tougher than shoulder of lamb, it contains more flavor than lamb and is more desirable.
A cook can prepare shoulder of mutton in a variety of ways to accommodate different taste preferences. For example, shoulder of mutton can be roasted or prepared as ribs using the shoulder blade or leg of the animal. It can also be chopped up and placed in a stew or ground up like a hamburger and then cooked.
Government agencies typically rate mutton shoulder based on the percentage of fat to meat found in the shoulder, as is the case with other butchered meats. Prime Mutton Shoulders have the least amount of fat to meat, while Choice cuts have the second-lowest fat to meat. Good and utility cuts have the most fat, while slaughtered cuts have the highest amount of fat compared to meat.
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