Wot no Lamb!
 

All in all I am pretty pleased with the choice when grocery shopping, yet, been here nearly 3 months and struggling to find Lamb in most supermarkets. What selection there is tends to be limited: frozen whole legs from NZ and the odd chump chop, apart from that I can't seem to find other cuts. I have now found a farm locally where we can buy a whole spring lamb butchered which is progress. Just wondering if anyone else who is a lamb lover has found it anywhere around the south Ottawa area?

Thanks.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

You still bleating about that??

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Meh

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

See if there is a butcher shop near you. Might have better luck.

Lamb isnt the most popular meat in Canada and probably the US as well so regular grocery may have a rather small selection and frozen.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I can't speak for your area but I think it may be a periodic thing.

There are times here when the only sign of lamb is the ground (minced) version but there are other times I find boneless leg (in a net), chops and frozen legs - as well as a half leg - and frozen shanks all at the same time.

Mostly in Loblaws. It seems to be a case of get some while you can. Usually costs a bomb though.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Have you tried

The Butchery/Veras Burger Express

kind of spendy but good quality. They also have an inhouse counter selling delicious hamburgers/steak dinners etc.

The other option is try a middle eastern butchers.

https://muslimlink.ca/directory/lond...87-matar-meats

Never been to this place but it is quite a ways out.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

True ...... many Canadians have told us that they hate lamb, they can taste the wool :huh: . That included my son-in-law in NS who used to say that lamb made him sick .............. I notice my daughter has worked on him and he is now eating it!

IMHO, Canadian lamb is not worth it ............... it doesn't taste right, and is often chewy. We love NZ lamb, whether we have to buy it frozen or find it fresh.

We used to find frozen lamb legs, shoulders and chops in our local grocery (Safeway) all the time, with fresh being seasonal.

Unfortunately Sobeys took over Safeway a couple of years ago, and we haven't seen any NZ lamb in the last 18 months, and only rarely do they have any Canadian, which we wouldn't buy anyway.


I have to say that we have very very rarely seen any British lamb, fresh or frozen, in the almost 50 years we've been here, so I wouldn't keep my hopes up.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Norfolk Ontario Grass Fed Lamb - Woolleys’ Lamb lists 3 places you can buy their lamb, but only in Southern Ontario.

Costco sell it - https://www.costco.ca/LAMB-CLUB%E2%8...100237247.html

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I love Lamb but refuse to pay the silly prices that they want for it. I check the date on it and go back the morning of and get it 50% off. Large freezer helps :D

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Things we can deduce from this thread

1. Lamb is not a popular choice of meat in Canada.
2. It is available but might not be where you live.
3. If available is it Canadian, NZ or British?
4. Its expensive.
5. Its usually frozen but can be freshly cut but chances are that would be of the Canadian variety.
6. If you eat lots of it then emigrating to Canada might not be the best idea.
7. Perhaps Canadian farmers have done their research and come to the conclusion that raising sheep and selling it for meat isn't as profitable as say cattle.
8. We have several sheep farms across Canada but they are not as prominent as cattle farms.
9. Some vegans might be a bit pissed at this thread as well as young children when we tell them what happens to baby sheep.
10. Are PETA OK with lambswool clothing attire?
11. Check with your local municipality on if you can take roadkill home on the off chance you might hit one as it crosses the road.

Sometimes I pop into this place when visiting my parents

https://eglifarm.com

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Perfect! :thumbup: I used to help a friend process lambs for sale but eventually rather than butcher them we just sold the carcasses and there was no shortage of customers willing to drive out and pick them up then cut and wrap it themselves at home. We'd tell them exactly when to arrive so there was no traffic jam, and so they wouldn't be fighting over lungs and intestines in the gut pile.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Thanks, sadly our local Butchers premises burnt down. However, I will try other in the area.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Yes, cost is eye watering, it is my favourite meat though, so from time to time I give in and buy some. As we come into Spring, hoping for more choice/availability.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Many thanks for the links, will definitely take a look. I'm a little uncomfortable with some slaughter methods and as such have tended to avoid halal and kosher. That's purely a personal thing though.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Cause of fire wasn't BBQing lamb was it :rofl:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

That's interesting to know, I wouldn't have considered whether the local lamb would be different to the texture/tenderness of Welsh or NZ lamb.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Ooh, well we certainly have a large freezer!

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Great, thanks. Will check those out, haven't seen the packs in Costco, so will be more vigilant next time we visit the shop.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Heres a heads up all cows, chickens etc etc don't taste the same.;)

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Which butchers was that (in Ottawa? )?

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

It was the Manotick Butcher and due to rebuild costs against the insurance, sadly, they felt they couldn't re-open.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Exactly. Depends on what they are fed and the breed. The place I buy lamb from has grass fed Nubian sheep, they don't taste rancid they was most of the lamb raised here does.

Still, what you lose here on the lamb flavour stakes/steaks you gain on the beef.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Lamb tastes differently, and the tenderness can also vary!

OH swears by Welsh Lamb, but NZ or Australian comes a close second

I prefer NZ

People in BC who eat lamb say there is nothing to beat Salt Spring Island lamb ........ that to me is dry


You will have to tell us what your lamb tastes like, whether you can tell any difference!

Actually, you must be buying a lamb that is around 9-11 months old if it is being butchered right now. Almost the NZ hogget (or hoggett).

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Rancid or grassy smell is usually the result of the lamb eating grass, so what the farmer should be doing is 'jugging' or isolating the ones to be done the next day for 16 hrs or thereabouts in a pen with only water. When something goes wrong and they haven't been jugged I've found that the grassy smell is only present in the raw meat and disappears when cooked, but it still isn't desirable. The ones we had were milder in taste than imported lamb, but that could also be due to being actual spring lambs around 70lbs yielding about 35 lbs cut and wrapped. If someone has a 100 lb lamb yielding 50 lbs it may have been born in the spring but it isn't going to be the same.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

It's the leeks. :lol:

I don't believe I've had any here that are not from New Zealand or Australia. The only difference I've noticed is the boneless legs are not as good.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I just hope you can find mint sauce to go with it. We had a university formal dinner last night, there was roast beef. It was very nice. There was no horseradish. I learnt that horseradish is not a common thing here. I am distraught.

(The fact it took me four years to discover this implies I'll get it over quickly, but still).

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I recall talking to a Canadian born gentleman some years ago. He was sent from Canada to UK as a soldier during the war and said the only meat they encountered there was mutton, which the Canadians quickly detested. Probably on their return to Canada they brought their prejudice of sheep meat with them, passed that onto their families and offspring, contributing perhaps to the absence of the product on Canadian shelves.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I've not found that at all, you can buy horseradish in most stores and it's commonly served with steak / beef at many restaurants.

Mint sauce is also available (as is mint jelly) at Loblaws, Walmart etc., or you can make your own very simply, (that used to be my job when I was a nipper, lol). with mint, sugar and malt vinegar. One of these is very helpful for mincing the mint (it's what I used)! https://www.amazon.ca/Stainless-Stee.../dp/B0001IWYCS

:)

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

It's certainly sold but none of my Canadian family like it. However they were always a bit unadventurous. I managed to get my stepdaughter into wholegrain Dijon.

To me, though, Creamy Horseradish is the tops. Fantastic stuff. :nod:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

They're not telling you the truth!!! :nod:

Mint Sauce, mint jelly and horseradish have always been available in Canada!!

We always have mint sauce and mint jelly in the fridge ......... at the moment it is President's Choice Mint Sauce and E. D. Smith's Mint Jelly.

Similarly horseradish ...... Woodman's Original Creamed Horseradush and Woodman's Extra Hot Creamed Horseradish.

Get the Extra Hot ... it's really quite mild!!!


All have been available since we moved here nearly 50 years ago in our local Safeway, even the President's Choice!

Sobeys may be making changes though, as they like you to buy what they want to sell ......... E D Smith's Mint Jelly has replaced the brand that we used to buy.


I'm not sure where you are, but chefs here would not dream of serving beef without horseradish ........ often made by themselves.

They even serve it with the prime rib of beef on VIA's The Canadian :nod:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

That's when it's at it's best, Creamy Horseradish with prime rib, roast spuds and gravy. Heaven.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I didn't say it didn't exist! :P But the British Columbian, Albertan, Manitoban and Ontarian at the table, whilst knowing what it was, all agreed they wouldn't expect to see it, or normally eat it.

As I said, that it took 4 years to even discover this, implies at the frequency I'm even around roast beef here... I'll see if you've all increased awareness by 2022 :rofl:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Horseradish typically sits in the fridge door next to the mint jelly, dijon, capers, pickled onions, stuffed olives etc. Whether it gets used up before expiring changes from house to house.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Have you been looking in our fridge? :ohmy:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

I don't keep capers in the fridge!

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Well the farm I made contact with never replied, so I doubt I will buy from them. The search continues ..

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Grass Fed Lamb

Handy map of farms with lamb: https://www.haymow.ca/lamb-farms-ottawa/

:)

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Fab, thanks, very useful.

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

It's a bit of a gambol
:getcoat:

Re: Wot no Lamb!
 

Shame you dont live in an Iranian/Persian area like North Van. Fresh hind Alberta Lamb shanks are superb and much cheaper than supermarkets.