Eating lamb or goat meat

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Sqeekyjojo
Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been wasting more time on the internet, and I clicked on a particular story, where the comments basically all said that very few Americans eat lamb.

I've never heard this before, and as I live in London, I often eat Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, Greek and Jamaican food. We've got tons of independent butchers and I regularly buy lamb or goat meat. There's also the traditional Sunday Lunch, which can be roast lamb, rosemary, potatoes, etc. Or Shepherds' Pie, which is made with lamb mince (Cottage Pie is made with beef). This is before you get to regional foods, such as Scouse (Lamb stew), Irish meals or any of the other variations.

Admittedly, eating goat isn't quite so common for your average Londoner, but it still seems really strange to me to think that these aren't normal foods for the US.


Is this true? Don't Americans eat lamb or goat? Or have I fallen for internet stories?
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Replies

  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    thats because theres no lamb burger yet. put anything in a burger, and it will get eaten state side.

    thats what I herd.
  • pkinblue
    pkinblue Posts: 140 Member
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    I eat lamb--and always have and am American. I ate it roasted with mint jelly as a child and in Indian style stews as an adult. I even make the Indian stew at home from time to time. However--it isn't always stocked at the grocery and lamb chops are very expensive. I do eat goat--but only when out at Indian restaurants where they pass it off as lamb....but I can tell the difference.
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
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    This is pretty accurate. You could probably Google per capita consumption of lamb and goat by country, but I would bet that the US is way down the list for both.

    I am the only one in my family who will touch either, and I love both, but I only get to eat them on the odd chance that we are at a restaurant that serves them. Sadly, my consumption is limited to an occasional gyro sandwich, and rarely some cabrito (mexican style goat meat).

    :grumble:
  • pkinblue
    pkinblue Posts: 140 Member
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    I eat lamb--and always have and am American. I ate it roasted with mint jelly as a child and in Indian style stews as an adult. I even make the Indian stew at home from time to time. However--it isn't always stocked at the grocery and lamb chops are very expensive. I do eat goat--but only when out at Indian restaurants where they pass it off as lamb....but I can tell the difference.

    oh--and if my DH is cooking Shepherd's pie he'll use lamb too.
  • Pearlyladybug
    Pearlyladybug Posts: 882 Member
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    We had pet milking goats as a child and they thought of eating it just makes me feel a little werided out, But in saying that i love lamb and if i had a pet lamb as i child i would probably feel the same about that too ( I have also just started eating meat again after being a vego for years and somethings still freak me out)
  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
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    I would really like to eat more lamb and goat but it is so much more expensive than beef. I saw some at the store the other day and it was about twice the price of beef.:cry:
  • jsd_135
    jsd_135 Posts: 291 Member
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    We have lamb maybe twice a month, usually loin chops or ground, for burgers or meatballs. I don't think it's commonly eaten in the U.S.. I mentioned the other day to a fellow soccer parent that we had lamb chops for dinner, and he said he'd never had lamb. As a kid growing up in the 70s, we never had lamb either. Both my parents apparently suffered through mutton every Wednesday in the 1940s and disliked it.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    i think lamb is gyro
    some americans do
    i sure dont
  • ddky
    ddky Posts: 381 Member
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    Actually, I have heard that the area that I live in (western Kentucky) is unique in that we eat a lot of mutton bar-b-que. Most areas of the country use primarily beef or pork for bar-b-que. I was raised on the stuff, and all I can say is they don't know what they are missing.
  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
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    Actually, I have heard that the area that I live in (western Kentucky) is unique in that we eat a lot of mutton bar-b-que. Most areas of the country use primarily beef or pork for bar-b-que. I was raised on the stuff, and all I can say is they don't know what they are missing.
    You are so right I had bbq goat when I was in Alabama, incrediable
  • walleyclan1
    walleyclan1 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    I eat lamb or goat maybe 4 times a year but the first time I ever tried it I was already 23 years old!
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    It really depends on the location, in more urbanized and diverse areas, you can find either on the menu. Where I live, it is easily found at an Indian (not Native American) or Brazilian restaurant.

    Most American Gyro cafes use beef as the 'gyro' meat, you have to specifically ask for lamb.

    I really like lamb when it is prepared well, I've never had goat but am willing to try it.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I rarely eat lamb or goat. Goat isn't typically sold at regular stores, but you can usually get it at a halal butcher or a latino centered meat shop. Lamb can be found on the menu at most good restaurants. When I was a kid we had lamb about once a month... and ALWAYS with mint jelly. We do eat "lamb" gyros but they are not as ubiquitous as in the UK, and I'm afraid they're mostly beef with a bit of lamb for flavor anyway.
  • americangirlok
    americangirlok Posts: 228 Member
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    Never have had either of them, so at least anecdotally that seems true. In OK it's pretty much pork, beef or chicken, sometimes turkey.
  • CarmenSandiegoInVA
    CarmenSandiegoInVA Posts: 235 Member
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    I eat lamb, but, It's not very popular in the US yet. But, It's on the rise I think. Who would not love some delicious lamb chops cooked medium rare... Mmmm..
  • epie2098
    epie2098 Posts: 224 Member
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    A British-born Canadian here. My husband, who is born and raised Canadian, won't touch either meat. Most North Americans of European descent love beef, pork, and chicken, with turkey on holidays. I've seen lamb in the freezer section, but never goat. That being said, I'm vegetarian, so don't eat either.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
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    Here in South Carolina I have never even known anyone who has eaten either lamb or goat.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Love goat meat!! :love: Lamb meat ok!! :ohwell:
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Pretty accurate I would say. It can be found pretty easily but I would not say its common. I raise and eat rabbits and that is not as common in the US as it used to be.
  • YolieCreator
    YolieCreator Posts: 173 Member
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    I've only had it once. But was raised with a Japanese mom who did all the cooking. If she didn't know how to cook it we didn't eat it. I've been thinking about trying to make it, just trying to find a few good recipes and someplace to buy it from. Live in a relatively small town.

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