Lamb Cuts

Lamb Primal Cuts

In North America a lamb carcass is divided into the shoulder, rack (rib), loin, leg (including the sirloin), breast, foreshank and neck. British butchers use leg, chump, loin, best end (rack), middle neck, scrag, shoulder and breast. French cuts include gigot, selle, carré, épaule, collier and poitrine.

Lamb vs Mutton

Lamb is a sheep under about one year old, with tender, mild meat; spring lamb is younger still. Hogget is 1–2 years old; mutton is an adult sheep, darker and stronger in flavour, best braised. French: agneau de lait (milk-fed), agneau, mouton.

Pré-Salé Lamb

Lamb raised on salt marshes, such as around Mont-Saint-Michel, grazing on salt-tolerant herbs — a protected French product with a delicate, slightly saline flavour.

Lamb Rack / Best End

The rib section of lamb, usually 8 ribs per side. Frenched and roasted whole, it is the most elegant lamb cut.

• North America: rack of lamb; frenched rack; lamb rib chops; crown roast (two racks tied in a circle).
• UK & Europe: best end of neck, rack; cutlets.
• French: carré d’agneau; côtelettes (premières, secondes, découvertes).
• Best cooked: roasted pink, often with a herb or mustard crust (persillade).

Lamb Chop

An individual portion cut from the rib or loin of lamb.

• North America: rib chop (from the rack), loin chop (T-bone shaped), shoulder chop (blade or arm).
• UK & Europe: cutlet (rib), loin chop, chump chop (from the chump end).
• French: côtelette (rib), côte filet (loin), mouton chop.
• Best cooked: grilled or pan-seared, pink.

Lamb Loin / Saddle

The section behind the rack containing the loin eye and tenderloin. Left whole across both sides, it is the saddle — a classic grand roast.

• North America: lamb loin, loin chops, boneless loin, double loin (saddle).
• UK & Europe: loin; saddle of lamb; noisettes (boned, rolled slices).
• French: filet d’agneau; selle d’agneau; noisettes.
• Best cooked: roasted, stuffed saddle, noisettes pan-seared.

Leg of Lamb / Gigot

The hind leg, including the sirloin (chump) in North America. Sold bone-in, shank-off, or boned and butterflied.

• North America: leg of lamb (whole, short-cut, sirloin-off, boneless, butterflied); lamb sirloin.
• UK & Europe: leg of lamb; chump.
• French: gigot (whole leg); gigot raccourci; selle de gigot; souris (the shank, ‘mouse’).
• Best cooked: roasted (gigot à la ficelle, studded with garlic), butterflied and grilled, braised (gigot de sept heures).

Chef’s tip: remove the gland in the fat between the leg muscles — it tastes strong.

Lamb Shank

The lower leg of the lamb (fore or hind); the hind shank is meatier.

• North America: lamb shank, foreshank.
• UK & Europe: lamb shank.
• French: souris (hind), jarret (fore).
• Best cooked: braised with wine, garlic and rosemary.