| Best quality ... best value ... all kind of subjective.
The tenderest cut is the tenderloin, sometimes called "medallions"
(even though that's sometimes used incorrectly to refer to other cuts,
such as rib eye), or "noisettes". It's also the most expensive, and it
also happens to be unavailable to retail consumers in eastern Mass
(butchers don't want to carry it, due to low demand and high cost, and
all of it goes to restaurants).
The next tenderest, most flavorful (in my opinion), and best cut
available retail for roasting and grilling is the rib. Bought as a
"rack", where you get several ribs unseparated, this is my favorite
dinner meat. The meat retains its juices and tenderness best in the
rack. It's usually pretty expensive, and waste is high, making it even
more so. We can get it at our regular supermarket for around $3.89/lb,
which I consider to be a better than average price. Rib chops are often
less expensive than the whole rack. Why, I have no idea.
Next comes the leg. The shank half (closest to the foot) is tenderer
and has less waste than the sirloin half, but they're similar. It's
been a while since I saw the price of a leg, so I don't know what they
cost, but it seems that a good price would be under $2.00/lb, but could
go as high as $2.89 or more (which would be too expensive, considering
the waste).
The only other cut I like (this entire note is my opinion, not an
official, authoritative discussion) is the shoulder. It has a lot of
waste, but the quality of the meat and the price make it an excellent
value for stew, stir-fry, cous-cous, curry dishes, etc.
The other cuts available, which I never buy, are the other chops, such
as loin and kidney chops. The lamb kidney itself is sometimes hard to
find, but a real treat for kidney lovers, as is the liver. Both are
more tender and mild-flavored than their cousins from beef and veal
(though veal is excellent, too).
I'd be interested to hear other's opinions.
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| Well Mike, I'm glad you would like to see some other opinions too.
Unlike you, I believe that the best part of the lamb and unfortunately
the most expensive is the lion and kidney lamb chops. These usually
run about $5.99/lb and have a bit more meat than the rack. In fact, I
had a mental block when reading your note and thought the two to be the
same.
If you are getting the rack for 3 something a pound you are indeed
getting a very competitive price. Rack has the least amount of meat
IMHO and kidney comes in second.
I am glad that you mentioned the shoulder being an o.k. cut. I assume
that this would be extrememly good given the average cuts of meat at my
butcher shop. They cut all fat off; at least the fat you want to be
off.
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| Interesting. At least we agree on the right things. The loin and kidney
chops can be very tender. BUT ... as you say, they are expensive. And,
except for an occasional excellent butcher, like Blood Farms (though
they're not consistent, for good reasons), we find that they're not as
tender as they should be, and not as tender as the rib racks we're able
to get at our regular supermarket. That's why we never buy them. But,
all other things being equal (like if you got them from the same
animal), the loin and kidney chops should be as tender or more so than
the ribs. The facts of availability and price have caused us to rarely
buy them.
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Well I like the loin chops but I believe the best bang for the buck
is the whole leg. I normally buy one or two at a time and cut them
up myself. That way I get a good selection of roasts, steaks, kabobs,
and ground lamb. I also spend alot of time cutting the fat off so I
end up with very lean meat in the end. I also use the bones with some
beef and veal bones to make my standard brown stock. It takes some
time to cut up the legs but I believe it's worth the effort.
-mike
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