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Halal or Kosher Lamb


Busboy

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Some friends and I are thinking of copping a whole lamb and spit-roasting it, and one possible source is the local Halal butcher. On the other hand, I've always heard from friends that Kosher beef is dry and tasteless because of the way it is butchered and prepared. Now, I know that Halal is not exactly the same as Kosher (and that beef is not lamb), but I'd appreciate anyone who could make a more educated guess than I can, whether the same sad fate visited on a Kosher NY Strip will inflict a whole Halal lamb.

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I have never found kosher beef or lamb to be dry and tasteless when I cook it. I think it's more a case of the cook than the product. If you think about it, kosher meat is just brined (yes, some of the excess blood is extracted, but it can still be nice and juicy).

Finding a kosher NY Strip isn't really possible in most places. It's a cut from the back section of the cow which is considered non-kosher. So, the same thing goes for a lamb. If you want a whole one, kosher isn't gong to cut it for you -- only the front sections are kosher.

My kosher lamb supplier also does halal -- their kosher stuff is fabulous, so I'd bet their halal stuff is too.

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I've spit roasted whole lambs that I've bought from a local halal butcher, they've been great. The reason Kosher beef is often terrible is because the market is small enough and there is enough demand to allow mediocre producers to sell their product even though it isn't very good. My halal butcher goes through several whole lambs a day, quality and freshness isn't a problem. I'd expect the same to be true in DC.

Edited by melkor (log)
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