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Meat Cuts & Butchery Academy

Lamb, mutton and goat cuts

Lamb is from young sheep, mutton from older sheep with a stronger flavour (in the UK 'hogget' is in between). In much of South Asia and the Caribbean 'mutton' means goat. Goat and lamb are butchered into the same primals; goat is leaner and needs gentler or longer cooking.

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Primal cuts diagram

Select a region — or Tab to it and press Enter — to see the cuts from it.

Stylised outline, not to anatomical scale.

Primal cut

Neck

Bony, gelatinous and sweet; for stews, curries and broths.

UK
Scrag and middle neck
US
Neck
India
Gardan

All cuts

Neck

Bony, gelatinous and sweet; for stews, curries and broths.

  • Neck fillet / neck chops

    Tough — low and slow · Braise, stew or curry, Soup, broth or poach

    Stew for 1½–2 hours; bones add body.

    UK
    Neck fillet, middle neck chops
    US
    Neck slices

Shoulder

Hard-working and marbled: the best all-round curry and slow-roast cut.

Rack / best end

Rib section: tender, with long clean bones; racks and cutlets.

  • Rack and cutlets

    Tender · Roast, Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast)

    Roast the rack or grill cutlets quickly; serve pink.

    UK
    Rack, best end cutlets
    US
    Rack, rib chops
    India
    Chaap

Loin / saddle

Most tender section: loin chops, noisettes and the fillet.

  • Loin chops

    Tender · Grill, sear or pan-fry (fast)

    Grill or pan-fry for a few minutes each side.

    UK
    Loin chops
    US
    Loin chops
    India
    Chaap

Leg

Large, lean-ish muscles: whole roasts, kebab cubes and slow-roasted raan.

Breast

Thin, fatty belly meat: cheap and rich; slow-roast until crisp, or use for mince.

  • Breast and riblets

    Tough — low and slow · Slow-cook, pull or smoke, Braise, stew or curry

    Slow-roast or braise, then crisp.

    UK
    Breast of lamb
    US
    Breast, Denver ribs
    India
    Seena

  • Mince

    Medium · Mince, kebab or burger

    Fatty trim from breast and shoulder makes juicy kebabs.

    UK
    Lamb mince
    US
    Ground lamb
    India
    Keema

Shank

Lower legs: rich in collagen and marrow — for nihari-style stews and braises.

Names around the world

  • 'Mutton' means older sheep in the UK, but goat in much of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Caribbean.
  • Indian butchers' terms: raan (leg), dasti (shoulder/front leg), chaap (chops), seena (breast), nalli (shank/marrow bone), gardan (neck), boti (boneless pieces), keema (mince).
  • UK 'best end' = US 'rack'.

Safe internal temperatures

Chops, steaks, roasts (lamb, goat)
US: 145 °F (63 °C), then rest 3 minutes
UK: Whole cuts may be served pink in the middle if the outside is seared.
Mince, kebabs and sausages
US: 160 °F (71 °C)
UK: Minced and skewered meat must be cooked through: no pink, steaming hot. UK advice for meat that must be cooked through: the centre should reach 70 °C for 2 minutes (or 65 °C for 10 minutes, 75 °C for 30 seconds, 80 °C for 6 seconds).

Sources