grocery question!
Phrick
Posts: 2,765 Member
I ran across a recipe I'm dying to try but it includes an ingredient I've never used (and so never shopped for until yesterday, when I couldn't find it!): I need roughly 1/2 lb of ground lamb. Anyone know if it was just a fluke that they had none - in fact, no lamb of any kind, at my local grocer? Or is that more of a specialty type meat that I should look for at some other kind of market? Or maybe an idea of a substitute in the recipe (which calls for 500g ground beef, 300g ground pork and 200g ground lamb and some spices to be all combined then rolled into small logs and refrigerated until time to grill). If it makes a difference, I live in So. California...
Thanks for any help
Thanks for any help
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Replies
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Hi @Phrick your location definitely makes a difference, it's really easy to find ground lamb in the UK I remember how hard it is to find lamb in the US! That and pork belly with the skin on!
Here's a link to butchers and stores that sell American bred lamb, though I believe much of the lamb in the US comes from Australia and New Zealand. You can search by city.
http://www.americanlamb.com/lamb-locator/
Looks like Whole Foods carries ground lamb, they reference lamb burgers.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/department/article/lamb
And if neither of those options work, I'd recommend trying the specialty international markets as ground lamb shish kebabs are a popular dish in many middle eastern cultures.0 -
I can say that I've never seen lamb in any of our grocery stores here in the deep Gulf south, U.S. Whole Foods is an hour, minimum, from me, so I haven't been. Sounds delicious though! I do mix ground beef, and sausage a lot too!0
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Thanks, @PaleoInScotland that will be helpful. If no local options present, we are going to a city that has a Whole Foods in a couple of weeks, we can stop on our way back home!0
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I find that most stores will get it for you if you ask.0
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Good luck with finding lamb in any form. When we moved to Colorado, I had my taste buds all ready for lots of lamb, given that Colorado is one of the top sheep raising states. That was before I found out that almost all of CO's lamb is exported elsewhere. There was one specialty store in Denver that carried Colorado lamb and it cost slightly more by the pound than uranium. In the 15 years we lived there, I had two Colorado lamb dinners: one in a restaurant in Taos NM and the other in a restaurant in Ithaca NY.0
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And if neither of those options work, I'd recommend trying the specialty international markets as ground lamb shish kebabs are a popular dish in many middle eastern cultures.[/quote]
I second Paleo in Scotland's recommendation. There are Middle Eastern markets in my area (Research Triangle area of NC) that have butcher shops within them. They sell Halal meat including a wide range of cuts of lamb as well as ground lamb. They will cut and grind to your order.
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I guess it must be regional. I've always been able to find lamb at my regular grocery store.
Do you by any chance have a co-op or any specialty stores near you that may carry it? If not, you can always look online for a national retailer like this http://shepherdsongfarm.com/shop/product-category/ground-meat-kabobs/ or maybe even a local farm.
I do get a lot of my food (produce, dairy, and meats) from a farm co-op that has weekly drop offs at various places around my county.0 -
I live in Buffalo and the local chain grocer carries it (Wegmans) along with grass fed bison, beef, and lamb!! However, the other chain grocer (Tops) only has it once in a rare while. I primarily shop at Wegmans so it's never been an issue!! I am assuming then its regional and depends on the grocer as well.0
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mandycat223 wrote: »Good luck with finding lamb in any form. When we moved to Colorado, I had my taste buds all ready for lots of lamb, given that Colorado is one of the top sheep raising states. That was before I found out that almost all of CO's lamb is exported elsewhere. There was one specialty store in Denver that carried Colorado lamb and it cost slightly more by the pound than uranium. In the 15 years we lived there, I had two Colorado lamb dinners: one in a restaurant in Taos NM and the other in a restaurant in Ithaca NY.
Wow...we were considering moving to Denver but now that Im reading this maybe we wont. Cant live without my weekly lamb! :-)0 -
I'm in WV and our stores have just started regularly carrying small amounts of lamb. In prior years they would carry it only around Easter.0
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No lamb?!?! Ive nevet felt so lucky that I live in Wales where you can buy it just about everywhere. Now I'm low carb I have it at least once a week and it's a real treat. With mint and green beans. Remind me never to leave wales.0
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I can say that I've never eaten it! But after this thread, I want to!
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I live in Northern California and they definately carry it at Raleys. Not sure if you have that store down where you live, but it is worth a shot!0
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riaward1990 wrote: »No lamb?!?! Ive nevet felt so lucky that I live in Wales where you can buy it just about everywhere. Now I'm low carb I have it at least once a week and it's a real treat. With mint and green beans. Remind me never to leave wales.
Move to Buffalo, NY ... we always have it... and sometimes even made from Butter!!
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LOL. My boys would be all over that butter lamb.0
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Lamb in the US is nowhere as good as the lamb in New Zealand and Australia. Hubby and I had a long vacation there last year and we ate a ton of lamb, but when we returned what we found was so much different. I don't know why, but it was just not the same texture and flavor. So I don't cook with it. I would switch it out with another ground protein.0
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If you have frozen lamb from New Zealand available sometimes they also have it ground in the same freezer case.0
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KarlynKeto wrote: »Lamb in the US is nowhere as good as the lamb in New Zealand and Australia. Hubby and I had a long vacation there last year and we ate a ton of lamb, but when we returned what we found was so much different. I don't know why, but it was just not the same texture and flavor. So I don't cook with it. I would switch it out with another ground protein.
It's kind of like Scottish beef! The stuff is just magical lol. I've never tasted beef so good in my life! I didn't eat much beef until I moved here, now I can't get enough. Even the beef south of the border in England isn't this good. I guess the grass just tastes better here
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We raise chicken and sheep here on our property. We love fresh eggs and only kill to eat the chicken's when I am healing from giving birth. My husband claims that they have a lot of vitamins.
Now the lambs are whole different story. We kill one whenever we have family over. I don'tknow how to cook it but I love eating it.
And I have never seen the meat at the butchers but I know you can order it. Enjoy!0 -
PaleoInScotland wrote: »It's kind of like Scottish beef! The stuff is just magical lol. I've never tasted beef so good in my life! I didn't eat much beef until I moved here, now I can't get enough. Even the beef south of the border in England isn't this good. I guess the grass just tastes better here
Yes! We spent a month in Scotland last summer (we have had some amazing trips the last few years, mostly due to working abroad) and the beef was most excellent. And your bacon is OFF THE CHARTS YUM too! Not sure how it is made differently, but it is more like ham and so much better. I ate a ton of it on that trip. New Zealand also had the best eggs I have ever had, I think that is most likely due to their chickens being raised organically for many generations. The yolks were so deep orange, and the flavor was amazing. No wonder NZ'ers put eggs on everything. I have yet to find anything even close as good in the US. For months I tried various sources, even bought straight from a farm, but nothing was as good. Oddly, the only protein I had trouble with outside of the US is chicken. Don't know why, but I didn't like the subtle flavors.
OK... sorry for going off topic. :-)
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I'm in OH and they've always had lamb around the holidays, recently I've seen it on a more regular basis (actually just scored a couple lamb roasts on mgr's special - $4 per lb... Woot!). I haven't seen it ground, but my grocery store will grind anything up for you, no extra charge. Talk to someone at the meat counter and see if they ever carry it.0
