A useful name for every dinner
The USDA lamb specifications distinguish shoulder, rack, loin, leg, breast, flank, and shanks. This map also picks out the neck. These are familiar locations for shopping, rather than one universal list of equal sized primals.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read the cooking notes and meal links.
| Cut and location | What to look for | Choose a meal |
|---|---|---|
| Neck Front, between head and shoulder | Often sold in slices or for stew. Ask whether bones are included. | Choose a braise or stew written for neck. There is no neck recipe in this collection yet. |
| Shoulder Upper front quarter | Check whether it is a roast, blade chop, or arm chop. Those forms need different plans. | A shoulder roast suits slow cooking. Use instructions written for the specific shoulder chop if buying chops. |
| Rack Ribs along the upper back | A rack can be left whole or divided into rib chops. Frenching exposes the ends of the rib bones. | Choose a rack roast or a recipe for rib chops. Our rosemary chop recipe uses loin chops. |
| Loin Back between the rack and hip | Loin chops have a small T shaped bone. Match their thickness and weight to the recipe. | Grilled lamb loin chops with rosemary uses four chops for two people. |
| Leg Hind leg and hip | Bone in, boneless, rolled, and butterflied forms cook differently. Check the actual form and weight. | Smoked leg of lamb starts with a 3 pound boneless rolled roast. |
| Shank Lower front or rear leg | Fore and hind shanks can differ in size. Choose comparable pieces that fit the covered cooking pot. | Braised lamb shanks makes two portions from two shanks. Tenderness determines the finish. |
| Breast Lower chest and rib area | Ask whether the breast has bones, is rolled, or has been separated into riblets. | Look for a recipe for that exact breast or rib form. A rib rack and a breast are separate purchases. |
| Flank Lower side below the loin | A thin abdominal region that may be sold separately or included in a larger belly cut. | Ask how it has been trimmed and what preparation fits the package before choosing a recipe. |
The American Lamb Board cut guide describes common retail forms and cooking directions. Its cut overview includes the neck and flank. The map follows the broad locations, with separate notes for the form you actually buy.
Which lamb chop?
The word chop does not identify a single cut. Lamb chops can come from the rib, loin, sirloin, or shoulder. Check that full name, the bone, and the thickness before following a recipe.
Our rosemary lamb chop recipe is written for loin chops about 1 inch thick. A thin shoulder chop or a whole rack needs its own cooking plan.
Ground lamb belongs off the map
Ground lamb can include meat and trimmings from several regions. Ask about the blend and choose a recipe for ground meat. It is not a separate muscle on the animal.
Lamb kofta skewers uses 12 ounces of ground lamb to make four skewers for two people. Follow the ground meat temperature guidance in the recipe.
Put the meal together
Choose a recipe above, then use the meal planner to combine its full batch with sides. The standalone meat quantity calculator has no lamb cut preset, so use the recipe batch when planning these meals.
Visit beef cuts, pork cuts, and chicken cuts, or return to Meet the butcher.