What makes this lamb breed different?

Published on 03/23/05
BY NATHALIE DUPREE,
Special to The Charleston Post and Courier

I called the Jamisons at Jamison Farm (800-237-5262 or www.jamisonfarm.com) to get the full American lamb story. What makes theirs different? First, they don't sell Suffolk lamb; they sell a mixed Dorset lamb, a smaller breed of lamb that is not grown for its wool.

Western Pennsylvania, where the Jamison farm is located, is known for its wonderful grasses. The average weight of Jamison lambs is 35-40 pounds, as opposed to 70-80 pounds for a Suffolk lamb. Jamison slaughters its lambs between 3 and 5 months old. Then the Jamisons dry-age their meat for a week to tenderize it.

"We're old-fashioned," Sukey Jamison said. They've been raising sheep for 25 years.

I asked the Jamisons if they sold many of the smaller 5-pound legs of lamb that once were traditional. They said that most people do want smaller cuts now, even from them, because families are smaller.

I asked Sukey about the names given to all these parts of the leg of lamb. After all, we never had anyone saying, "I'm giving you the top round" as he sliced meat at the table. Leg of lamb was just all leg of lamb.

In fact, it is relatively new nomenclature. There are three muscles in a butterflied leg (the bone removed, then the flesh cut open to resemble a butterfly). They are the top or mini-round, which in a larger animal we might even call the rump roast with the eye of round; the sirloin with the mini-tenderloin; and the sirloin tip. Steaks are from the center cut of the leg.

Kebabs come from all parts of the leg. For a Suffolk lamb, the top round is 2 to 2 1/2 pounds. Jamison's is 1-1/4 pounds.

What happened to the shank that used to come with all legs of lamb? Sukey said people got interested in it as a separate piece of meat (and, of course, at Passover celebrations, the shank of lamb is used) because it forms an attractive triangle on the plate and is a good flavoring for bean and lentil stews. It's rarely seen as part of the leg anymore.

There are other specialty lamb growers, such as Neiman Ranch in California, and some of the "slow food" movement growers, who are featuring what are called heritage lambs.