Shopping For Lamb
What to look for
Good quality lamb is available at butcher shops, supermarkets and other food retailers around the country. Lamb can also be purchased from farm shops, direct from farms and over the internet too.
All the outlets will offer slightly different services - where you purchase your lamb is down to personal preference and how much you wish to purchase but our hints and tips on buying lamb will be useful whichever outlet you choose to shop at.
How much to buy?
Allow 100g lean red meat per day and no more than 500g red and processed meat per week. This is in line with average consumption in the UK. If you are buying a roasting joint, buy enough for 100g per person, but remember that there are plenty of ways to use up leftovers if you buy more than you need.
Lamb Packaging
Generally, 80.3% of fresh lamb is purchased through supermarkets (Kantar Worldpanel) either from the meat chiller cabinets or from in-store meat counters. There you will find an array of meat either vacuum packed (where all the air is removed from the plastic packaging) or packed using Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) or Controlled Atmospheric Packaging (CAP). This type of meat packaging refers to the use of delicately balanced gas mixtures that are flushed inside rigid meat containers. They improve the quality, appearance and shelf life of meat in store. When purchasing pre-packed meat from pre-packed meat chiller cabinets always adhere to the 'use by’ dates on the labels.
You may be puzzled as to why you may have come across cuts of meat that are 'stamped’. They are used as an indicator by meat hygiene officials who inspect and approve meat during processing. These coloured stamps on the flesh are completely harmless. They are made with edible vegetable dyes and disappear on cooking.
How to store
In the Fridge
As a guide, red meat will keep for between three to five days in the fridge at a temperature between 0°C-4°C. If meat is purchased from a butcher or supermarket meat counter, remove any original packaging and for small lamb cuts, store in a clean sealed container on the bottom shelf of the fridge until required. For larger cuts or joints, re-wrap in aluminium foil or greaseproof paper and place in a large dish or container.
Any meat packs purchased at supermarket meat aisles in sealed containers are best left intact, but follow the 'use-by’ dates on the packaging.
In the Freezer
If you prefer to buy meat in bulk, i.e. half or a while lamb, either with another member of the family or friends, or when on offer, You will need to store it in the freezer. Frozen lamb will keep for up to 6 months at -18°C/0°F. For smaller lamb cuts, it’s always a good idea to freeze them individually, separated by wax or greaseproof paper before wrapping tightly in freezer bags for protection. You’ll thenfind it much easier to separate your steaks and chops before defrosting too!
Defrosting frozen lamb is just as easy too: simply remove from the freezer and defrost overnight on the bottom shelf of the fridge.