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| Latin: |
Capra hircus |
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| Origin: |
Mutton refers to the flesh of the mature ram or sheep, Capra hircus Linnaeus or Ovis aries Linnaeus, belonging to the family Bovidae, at least one year old. The meat of sheep between 12 and 20 months old may be called yearling mutton.
Meat of sheep before the age of one year is called lamb. The meat of sheep 6 to 10 weeks old is usually sold as baby lamb, and spring lamb is from sheep of five to six months.
Sheep is an animal belonging to the Bovidae family, with different species such as goat, sheep, wild goat, Mongolian gazelle, etc. The sheep, along with goat, were among the earliest domesticated animals. Goat remains have been found at archaeological sites in western Asia, such as Jericho, Choga, Mami, Djeitun and Cayonu, which allows domestication of the goats to be dated at between 6,000 and 7,000 B.C. Sheep outnumber all other types of livestock in the world. Run in flocks by migrating peoples, sheep used to produce tough, stringy meat, but modern breeding and raising methods have produced a meat that is both tender and flavorful.
The mild flavor of lamb is preferred in most Western countries. The stronger flavor of mutton is considered desirable in many Middle and Far Eastern countries. Milk-fed lamb is especially delicate in flavor. The color of the lean deepens as the animal grows older. In the lamb it ranges from light to dark pink; in yearling mutton it is medium pink to light red; in mutton it is light to dark red in color. The fat, soft and creamy white to pale pink in the lamb, hardens and whitens in older sheep. Bones also harden and whiten, becoming porous in the yearling and extremely hard in the mature animal.
In the United States the carcass may be separated into sides and then divided into wholesale cuts. It may be cut straight across into saddles; or it may be cut into leg, loin, shoulder, breast, and shank. The outer fat covering, or fell, may be removed from the cuts. U.S. quality grades for lamb include prime, choice, good, utility, and cull; mature mutton grades are choice, good, utility, and cull.
The primary lamb- and mutton-consuming countries (on a per capita basis) are New Zealand, Australia, Greece, Uruguay, and Ireland. The leg, saddle (upper back portion of the carcass from last rib to legs), and shoulder, although they contain higher proportions of bone to meat, are considered the finest cuts by some cooks.
In the United States popular cuts include individual chops from the ribs or loin, the leg, and the so-called crown roast, made by forming the rib section, or rack, into a circle. A regional specialty, virtually unknown outside of the state of Kentucky, is barbecued mutton. Curried mutton, served with rice, is a favorite dish of the Jamaicans.
The traditional British lamb roast is distinguished by a fresh mint sauce. Lamb also plays an important part in classic French cuisine. Unlike American- or English-style preparation, however, French recipes often call for shorter cooking times, yielding rare or pinkish meat.
Lamb predominates in the cuisines of Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East, commonly marinated and roasted on a skewer (shish kebab) or cooked with local vegetables. A classic Middle Eastern dish is kibbe, a mixture of ground lamb and cracked wheat.
Fresh and frozen lamb is widely available in supermarkets and butcher shops. Mutton is sometimes available in butcher shops. |
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| Properties: |
| Sweet in flavor, warm in nature, it is related to the channels of the spleen and kidney. |
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| Functions: |
Mutton invigorates the qi, nourishes the blood, warms the middle-jiao and the kidneys.
Sheep's horn is capable of eliminating evil wind and is an antipyretic (relieves fever).
Sheep's kidney can tonify the kidney-qi, replenish the vital essence and marrow, and is used to treat seminal emission due to deficiency of the kidney, soreness and pain along the spinal column, deafness and tinnitus (ringing noise in the ears)
Sheep's milk is warming, moistening and tonifying to the human body. It is used for treatment of diabetes and regurgitation of food from the stomach. |
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| Applications: |
1. For the infirm, puerpera (a lying-in woman, after childbirth):
Mutton is a very old traditional blood tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. As early as nearly 2,000 years ago, Chinese physicians formulated a "Mutton Decoction with Radix Angelica Sinensis" for the puerpera in a deficient cold state and susceptible to cold pathogen invasion. Mutton is not only nourishing, but also warm.
Use 30 g Radix Angelica Sinensis, 60 g fresh ginger, 500 g mutton. Cut the meat into cubes and cook with other ingredients until well done, then add Chinese onion, salt and flavourings. Consume in 1-2 meals.
2. For postpartum deficiency with cold limbs, sweating and short breath:
Use 500 g mutton cut into larger cubes. Dip in boiling water for 1 minute. Skim off anything floating on the surface. Cut 150 g Chinese yam in rectangular shape and boil with the mutton. Add Chinese onion white, ginger, peppermint, and millet wine. First boil with strong fire and then with slow fire until the mutton is well done. Consume for 2-3 meals.
3. For anorexia (uncontrolled lack or loss of the appetite for food) in the elderly:
Boil 100 g mutton and skim the floating foamy materials. Cut into small pieces and put in water. Add Chinese onion bulb, ginger and boil until mutton is well done. Pour in 150 g flour, 20 g powdered tangerine peel and stir thoroughly to make paste. Add some salt and monosodium glutamate and serve.
4. For night blindness:
Use 300 g sheep's liver. Cut off the white tissues and slice into thin slices. Boil with 100 g rice to make porridge and serve.
5. For anemia (too few red blood cells in the bloodstream):
Take one thigh bone from a sheep and pound to expose its marrow. Boil in water for 1 hour. Add 30 g Chinese dates and 100 g sweet rice to make porridge. After done, add some brown sugar and serve. |
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| Dosage and Administration: |
Trim excess fat before cooking. Sometimes lamb and mutton fat is covered with a thin, papery membrane called the fell. This should be trimmed off before cooking.
For best results when roasting lamb or mutton, use a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat, making sure the thermometer is not touching a bone. Internal temperatures should reach 57 to 60¢X C.
Mutton can be tenderized by marinating in acidic ingredients (for no more than 24 hours), or pounding the meat with a mallet to break down connective tissues.
Roasting: Wipe the meat with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place fat side up on a rack above a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer deep into the meat. Roast at 180¢X C until it reaches a temperature of 57 to 60¢X C.
Broiling: Wipe the meat with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place the steaks on a rack above a shallow roasting pan. Adjust the oven rack so meat is about 7.5 cm from the heat source for thin cuts, 10 cm for thick cuts. Turn with a fork or tongs after four to five minutes. Cook until desired internal temperature is reached, about four to six minutes per side.
Pan-broiling: Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot. Wipe steaks with a clean, damp kitchen towel before placing them in the skillet. Sear until brown on each side. Pour off drippings and turn the meat frequently until done.
Braising: Wet-heat cooking works well for tougher cuts of meat, such as shank and shoulder. Wipe the meat with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Heat a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until very hot. Add oil or butter, then add the meat, and brown it on all sides. When all the meat is browned, add cooking liquid and cover tightly with a lid. Cook in an oven preheated to 160¢X C, or on the stovetop over low heat, until lamb is tender, 30 to 35 minutes per 454 g.
Stewing: Wash and pat dry stew meat or shanks. Dredge in flour and spices and brown in oil if desired. Then put in a Dutch oven and cover with liquid and herbs, spices, and vegetables. Cook in the over at 160¢X C or on the stovetop over low heat until lamb is tender.
Microwaving: Place lamb or mutton roasts, fat side down, on a roasting rack over a microwavable dish. Cook on High 10 to 12 minutes per 450 g. Turn halfway through. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange chops in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Cook on high 7 to 10 minutes per 450 g. Rotate dish half-way through cooking time.
Grilling: Place steaks, chops, or ribs on a prepared grill with the rack about 20 cm from the heat source. Grill about four minutes per side. Homemade or bottled barbecue sauce (or other glaze) may be brushed on lamb or mutton before and during grilling.
To test the temperature, place your palms above the coals or heat source at cooking level. If you have to remove your hands after two seconds, the temperature is hot; after three seconds, medium hot; and after four seconds, medium. More than four seconds indicates the grill has not reached cooking temperature.
Check the "Sell By" date on the package. This date indicates the last day the lamb or mutton should be offered for sale. Meat and poultry should be prepared as soon as possible after the date of purchase, and used beyond the Sell By date only occasionally, if at all. Fresh lamb has creamy white fat and firm, pinkish-red meat. Fresh mutton has creamy white fat and springs back to the touch. Mutton turns cherry red when cut, then darkens with age. Darker mutton may still be good, but should be cooked and eaten immediately.
Leave fresh lamb and mutton in its original wrapping, over-wrap with foil to keep meat juices from contaminating other food, and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Refrigerate no more than two to four days for small cuts, four to five days for large cuts, and one to two days for stew meat or ground lamb or mutton. To keep lamb and mutton longer than that, wrap in foil or enclose in freezer bags and store in the freezer. Generally, the larger the cut the longer it keeps in the freezer; stew meat and ground lamb and mutton and keep for three to four months; roasts and chops for six to nine months.
Defrost frozen lamb or mutton in the refrigerator. Steaks and chops take about 24 hours; roasts two to three days, depending on the size. Bring the meat to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
To quick-thaw, separate steaks and chops and place them on a microwavable platter in the microwave oven for 7 to 11 minutes, depending on size and number; turn the meat halfway through the process. Place large roasts or legs in a baking dish and defrost for 18 to 32 minutes, depending on size. Turn halfway though thawing time. Place ground meat in a shallow baking dish, cover, and defrost six to eight minutes, breaking up turning the meat several times. |
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| Cautions on Use: |
| Mutton should be avoided by those who have symptoms caused by retained heat in the body. |
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| Reference Materials: |
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| Modern Researches: |
Mutton contains 17.3 percent protein, 13.6 percent fat, 0.5 percent carbohydrate, and calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, vitamin B2, nicotinic acid, cholesterol and inorganic salt. The constituents contained in mutton vary with the breed, age, nourishment and different parts of the body of a ram or a sheep.
Sheep's milk contains protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1, B2, C and A.
Sheep's liver is rich in vitamin A. |
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