Lamb sourcing?

[paul o' vendange]

I have been out of cooking a long time now, and it has been fitful coming back.  Not sure I ever really will.  To show how long, I was saddened to just read Jamison Farm shut down back in 2021, in good measure due to the restaurant closures suffered under Covid.  They were our sole lamb provider for our short-lived restaurant Waterstone, in the Upper Peninsula (2004-05).  

 

Where do you obtain your lamb?  Things like shoulder clod?

[Darienne]

Interesting question.  Takes me back a long time.  Ed and I were married 65 years ago...soon to be 66...and dirt poor.   Two very foolish university students and soon to be parents.  Where on earth were our brains?  (No answers, please!)

 

About the lamb.  Back then, in the 'olden' days, lamb was the very cheapest meat you could buy in Ontario, Canada.   And so I  bought lamb.  And although I could happily eat a bit of lamb every now and then, Ed has categorically refused to eat lamb for forever!!!

 

Good luck in your search.

[paul o' vendange]

11 minutes ago, Darienne said:

Interesting question.  Takes me back a long time.  Ed and I were married 65 years ago...soon to be 66...and dirt poor.   Two very foolish university students and soon to be parents.  Where on earth were our brains?  (No answers, please!)

 

About the lamb.  Back then, in the 'olden' days, lamb was the very cheapest meat you could buy in Ontario, Canada.   And so I  bought lamb.  And although I could happily eat a bit of lamb every now and then, Ed has categorically refused to eat lamb for forever!!!

 

Good luck in your search.

Thanks Darienne.  Congratulations on your time together!  I'm 64 now, married coming up on 28 years only.  But yes, amazing to look back on life.  I was in terrible health for many years, until diagnosed properly some years ago (and then again with EDS a few years ago).  I was up to 280, on a road to an early death. But per below, things have turned to the good.

 

Began cooking before 10, French food by 12 when my mom bought me La Technique and I worked it cover to cover (below, the famous "cream puff swans" from Christmas, when I was 13).  I cooked the entire Christmas meal.  Fluent by 14 owing all to my beloved teacher, Mme. Lewis, who took a damaged kid and made him, for all intents and purposes, her TA for all 6 periods by 9th grade in an attempt to keep me in school.  Life was since then a wandering through many things and I have no regrets - currently swimming up to 7500 yards daily, in fantastic health, though I mourn this pretty ancient connection to "Frenchness".  We'll see if I find my way back.  All good.

Thanks for your post and again, all blessings for many years more.

Edited 4 hours ago by paul o' vendange (log)

[Smithy]

@paul o' vendange, I don't buy lamb often but I have a meat shipment coming this month that will include ground lamb and a rack of lamb. You might look into ButcherBox.com. It's a subscription meat service, very flexible as to what you purchase and how often, and they claim that the meat is all sustainably sourced, humanely raised, no antibiotics, etc. Again, I don't know how much selection you'd have for lamb cuts, but you should check it out.

[AlaMoi]

imho, , , two items that are (usually) difficult to obtain . . .

heritage pork

lamb

 

commercially, the hugest lamb supply is imported from NZ/Australia.  

but for good stuff, one has to find a local well operated supplier.

 

don't know where you're located - but the little 'luck' I've had is simply internet searching on stuff like

'fresh lamb (insert town here)'

'heritage pork (insert town here)'

you may have to drive a bit . . . 

 

we had a local breeder for heritage pork - about 30 miles....  they closed.  and I've never found another within reasonable driving.

 

so, it is a challenge

[paul o' vendange]

41 minutes ago, Smithy said:

@paul o' vendange, I don't buy lamb often but I have a meat shipment coming this month that will include ground lamb and a rack of lamb. You might look into ButcherBox.com. It's a subscription meat service, very flexible as to what you purchase and how often, and they claim that the meat is all sustainably sourced, humanely raised, no antibiotics, etc. Again, I don't know how much selection you'd have for lamb cuts, but you should check it out.

Hreat, thanks Smithy.  I'll look into it.

[paul o' vendange]

9 minutes ago, AlaMoi said:

imho, , , two items that are (usually) difficult to obtain . . .

heritage pork

lamb

 

commercially, the hugest lamb supply is imported from NZ/Australia.  

but for good stuff, one has to find a local well operated supplier.

 

don't know where you're located - but the little 'luck' I've had is simply internet searching on stuff like

'fresh lamb (insert town here)'

'heritage pork (insert town here)'

you may have to drive a bit . . . 

 

we had a local breeder for heritage pork - about 30 miles....  they closed.  and I've never found another within reasonable driving.

 

so, it is a challenge

Thanks AlaMoi.  We're in WI.  Thankfully we have a good butcher here in Madison and I can get humanely raised Red Wattle and Berkshire pork (I love Berkshire) but outside of already frenched racks, no idea where it comes from, probably all the way from NZ through massive brokerage and distribution channels, no lamb.  Jamison lamb was extraordinary.

 

(Small sidenote, mentioned alive and well.  Lot of help along the way, encouraging anyone in need to reach out to people who care).

Edited 3 hours ago by paul o' vendange (log)

[AlaMoi]

that is why I am so 'reluctant' to used mail order sources.

#1 - they lie a lot . . . 

 

one cannot take their marketing / web hype for truth - when put to a legal challenge it's always an 'oh gosh - it was, but it changed and so sorry we forgot'

[haresfur]

The lamb lassie hasn't been at my farmers market in ages so I usually get it from Erindale butchers who do a pretty good job.

 

Frankly though I usually get a pack of shaved meat from the Kabab shop and serve it up with Roti from Aldi, lettuce and garlic sauce

[weinoo]

Hi Paul - what a story and glad to see how well you've dealt with your issues.

 

I think you can do real well with delivery services...there are a number of eG-ers who do.  

 

Check out Wild Fork - their prices are some of the most reasonable, and their selection is deep (though much, as you mention, from Australia). My favorite lamb available commercially tends to come from Colorado...https://wildforkfoods.com/collections/lamb/

 

D'artagnan has lovely stuff, and charges for it...https://www.dartagnan.com/leg-of-lamb-bone-in-american/product/FLDLE002-1.html?bcgid=lamb   But you can often do well on a first order.

 

I'm surprised your butcher in Madison can't get Colorado lamb.  What about at your Whole Foods?

 

 

 

Edited 13 minutes ago by weinoo (log)