What Is Lamb Carcass

The lamb carcass (Figure 26) is broken into four primals: front, leg, loin, and flank. The lamb front is then broken into four sub-primals: the lab shoulder, neck, fore shank, and breast. The lamb leg can be left whole or split into leg shank and butt portion. The loin consists of two parts: the rib and loin.

What distinguishes a mutton carcass from a lamb carcass?

Lamb carcasses tend to have a light red color and fine texture, along with moderately flat rib bones. Mutton carcasses, however, have a coarser texture, darker red color and large, wide rib bones. Skeletally, the break joints and spool joints also help determine whether a carcass is deemed lamb or mutton.

What is required to be considered for a lamb carcass vs mutton?

Typical lamb carcasses tend to have slightly wide and moderately flat rib bones and a light red color and fine texture of lean. By contrast, typical yearling mutton carcasses have moderately wide rib bones which tend to be flat and a slightly dark red color and slightly coarse texture of lean.