Ask a chef

[perchie.girl]

First of all I AM not a chef. I am a biology teacher and a zoologist

I am certainly a grate food lover! The chef in this thread is the starter of it ,Attimus.
I always buy a cross breed between the Awassi breed

Wich is a local breed with very distinctive smell and taste and have a very fatty tail and meat.
And the Australian Merino

Wich almost don't have any smell and have a relatively lean meat. and have a tail
This cross got the perfect taste for me!
I ALWAYES buy male NEVER female, huge difference in meat tast!
I always search for the grass fed ones but because we are a semi desert country it is very difficult to find them!
Because I am Jewish we have a very strict rules how to manage ouer animals, I am hiring a special man to do the killing, but I preper the meat for cooking,
Never buy lambs more than 45 kg!
And another thing we eat EVERYTHING of it!
Beside the meat we eat ALL the internal organs! Including the head ! I DON'T eat the brain because I am worrying from Croizfeld Jacobs disease!

I have seen some very different looking breeds of Goats from the middle east and India.... And horses

But this is the first time I have seen Awassi.... and am noticing the head shape is very similar to some of the goats i have seen. Is this an adaptation to hot dry climate?

Had to look up Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease.... Very interesting similar to mad cow in that its caused by Prions. But from what I am reading its human to human infection.... I never knew it had a name but have read that Brain Surgions, Cannibals, and People who handle Human brains were prone to dImensia....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease

Of course Wikipedia is only a general info source.

Here is a picture of a goat that I saw for the first time this year.... Kamori?




deb

 

[Akrnaf2]

It is exactly the same disease!
It called Kuru in previous time, and it was as you said a human diseas. But the MCD is in facts a Sheep disease called scrapie that was transmitted to cowes in England! Which took all the remains of the sheep industry, dry it in industrial desicators, flake it and enter it to the cow feed as an extra protein! And in this way it enterd to cows and from them to humans. Infact IT IS exactly the same disease! It is the same agent , prion, that causes the disease in human ( CJD) In cows (MCD) and in sheeps ( scrapie). In my eyes as a biologist prion are one of the most interesting thing in Biology!

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Ah, I had hoped there were more "professional" chefs posting to this thread but no matter. I'll take whatever I can get...LOL

I am NO chef either...retired accountant...so I guess I better not fudge up adding up anything, eh?


I am very impressed with the selection qualities you use to decide what lamb(s) you will purchase. I love a determined person that knows what they want and gets it too!

Delighted to see you also have a hybrid sheep you purchase.

Awassi are one of the fat tailed or fat bottomed breeds...the Dorper is a cross on a wool sheep (not a Merino but a Horned Dorset) and the Persian sheep.

This is a ewe lamb that has begun to shed out her covering

​

She has the remnants of the fat tail shape seeing in Persian breeds

​

​

Fat is stored their in the tail base and you can see the thinning out of the rest of her tail...described in the Persians as thick as a pencil.

I can see the Persian influence in the deep chest (manubrium) of the Dorper and tail shape hints at this origin too.

​

This is a mix of colour varieties allowed in that breed (there's a woolly butt on the top right that does not below to the flock!) and to my knowledge, only the black headed variety was used. Not allowed to see dewlaps or the pencil thin tail in the Dorpers but very pleasing to know the genetics behind what makes our lambs.

Horned Dorset - now that's an image of a practical SHEEP!​

The Dorset Horned is renown for out of season prolific lambing with good mothering and milking ability along with quick maturing but also longevity. Dorset lambs provide a nice light weight carcass for Easter and Christmas Not known for certain but supposedly this breed was made from crosses of Wales Horned sheep and Merinos brought by the Spanish to the UK. I suppose we are looking at the same kind of lambs you prefer. How very interesting!

Grass fed, I can appreciate your choice in that and liking only a certain size of lamb too makes perfect sense.


I am surprised your preference for male lambs only but suspect that would impart a certain flavour to the lamb. You did not mention if the male lamb was left intact as in whole with all his parts. He is not castrated is he? I would suspect as a young male lamb, and of a only a certain weight as you like, no chance he gets too "muttony" a flavour?


Kosher slaughter in my opinion is great!

I too would shy away from eating "brains and spinal cords" simply because as Deb mentions, contains prions (which can survive being incinerated...gack!) which can cause diseases (Mad cow in cattle, Scrapie in sheep and goats). My first sheep breed, Jacobs have been tested to be scrapie resistant, which I figure is a good thing. For a time, might still be in place but sheep carcasses cost $250 to dispose of due to the fear of Scrapie. I remember something about a volunteer head program where you sent in sheep/goat heads for testing to the government. Ah there, jest looked it up...started in 2007 and now discontinued. Producers would get fifty dollars back for sending farm dead heads in.

The national program still exists...

http://www.ablamb.ca/index.php/industry-programs/national-scrapie-surveillance-programs:

Scrapie is a fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). While the exact cause of scrapie is unknown, it is thought to be associated with the presence of an abnormal form of a protein called a prion.

Other countries, including the USA and Great Britain, are already working to reduce the incidence of scrapie and eventually eradicate it from their flocks. In order to remain competitive and maintain market access, it is in Canada's best interest to increase resistance to scrapie and to establish prevalence of this disease so that it does not become a trade barrier in the future.

The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) and several provincial agricultural ministries have launched a surveillance program to detect scrapie in the national sheep flock and goat herd. The goal of this program is to identify infected animals in Canada to ensure that proper steps can be taken to completely eradicate the disease from our country. General requirements include reporting deads on farm over the age of 12 months and complete brain testing.

Prions would be fun to study but not because one had a personal interest because they had the disease caused by the eating of them.

Thank you Akrnaf2 for your thorough reply and loved the two photos...magnificent cross and one I may hope to achieve given similar breeds of sheep in the hair sheep Dorpers.

Another way to RE-invent the wheel in all these "sheep breeds" but if we all sit down to a delightful meal of tasty good for you lamb...we will all be winners.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[perchie.girl]

It is exactly the same disease!
It called Kuru in previous time, and it was as you said a human diseas. But the MCD is in facts a Sheep disease called scrapie that was transmitted to cowes in England! Which took all the remains of the sheep industry, dry it in industrial desicators, flake it and enter it to the cow feed as an extra protein! And in this way it enterd to cows from them to humans. Infact IT IS exactly the same disease! It is the same agent , prion, that causes the disease in human ( CJD) In cows (MCD) and in sheeps ( scrapie). In my eyes as a biologist prion are one of the most interesting thing in Biology!

Yes they are very interesting. Very first time I heard about Prions was in Michael Chritons Book Jurassic Park. His books are full of Good Science as well as Science fiction.

When Jurassic park Movie came out I was working for a biomed company reverse engineering Gene splicing tools. And Refining the existing tools they had in house. There was a Geneticist on staff as a consultant. and I asked him if the process they described in Jurassic park was possible... Without hesitation he said Yes.... I was stunned. That was in 1993.... The only thing that would hold them back was computer power.... At the time of the book release they proposed that three Cray Computers would be needed.

But the really scary part for me was Here I am a non Bio tech person I am putting together hardware and creating Safety containment for the use of electroporation devices for gene Splicing. It was a product for sale to the research industry. so I asked a dumb question. "Who are the people that buy this equipment" Thinking These people would have special research back grounds... um No... anyone who had the money could buy it.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Attimus is the pro here and its his thread.

I think we all have something to add though.

deb

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Heel low:

Ah, I had hoped there were more "professional" chefs posting to this thread but no matter. I'll take whatever I can get...LOL

I am NO chef either...retired accountant...so I guess I better not fudge up adding up anything, eh?

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Hi!! This thread is run by a professional chef @attimus is the chef and thread starter, he is very busy though LOL

 

[Akrnaf2]

Heel low: Ah, I had hoped there were more "professional" chefs posting to this thread but no matter. I'll take whatever I can get...LOL I am NO chef either...retired accountant...so I guess I better not fudge up adding up anything, eh? I am very impressed with the selection qualities you use to decide what lamb(s) you will purchase. I love a determined person that knows what they want and gets it too! Delighted to see you also have a hybrid sheep you purchase. Awassi are one of the fat tailed or fat bottomed breeds...the Dorper is a cross on a wool sheep (not a Merino but a Horned Dorset) and the Persian sheep.

​

This is a ewe lamb that has begun to shed out her covering​

​

She has the remnants of the fat tail shape seeing in Persian breeds​

​

Fat is stored their in the tail base and you can see the thinning out of the rest of her tail...described in the Persians as thick as a pencil. I can see the Persian influence in the deep chest (manubrium) of the Dorper and tail shape hints at this origin too.

​

This is a mix of colour varieties allowed in that breed (there's a woolly butt on the top right that does not below to the flock!) and to my knowledge, only the black headed variety was used. Not allowed to see dewlaps or the pencil thin tail in the Dorpers but very pleasing to know the genetics behind what makes our lambs.

​

Horned Dorset - now that's an image of a practical SHEEP!​

The Dorset Horned is renown for out of season prolific lambing with good mothering and milking ability along with quick maturing but also longevity. Dorset lambs provide a nice light weight carcass for Easter and Christmas Not known for certain but supposedly this breed was made from crosses of Wales Horned sheep and Merinos brought by the Spanish to the UK. I suppose we are looking at the same kind of lambs you prefer. How very interesting! Grass fed, I can appreciate your choice in that and liking only a certain size of lamb too makes perfect sense. I am surprised your preference for male lambs only but suspect that would impart a certain flavour to the lamb. You did not mention if the male lamb was left intact as in whole with all his parts. He is not castrated is he? I would suspect as a young male lamb, and of a only a certain weight as you like, no chance he gets too "muttony" a flavour? Kosher slaughter in my opinion is great! I too would shy away from eating "brains and spinal cords" simply because as Deb mentions, contains prions (which can survive being incinerated...gack!) which can cause diseases (Mad cow in cattle, Scrapie in sheep and goats). My first sheep breed, Jacobs have been tested to be scrapie resistant, which I figure is a good thing. For a time, might still be in place but sheep carcasses cost $250 to dispose of due to the fear of Scrapie. I remember something about a volunteer head program where you sent in sheep/goat heads for testing to the government. Ah there, jest looked it up...started in 2007 and now discontinued. Producers would get fifty dollars back for sending farm dead heads in. The national program still exists...

National Scrapie Surveillance Programs Scrapie is a fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). While the exact cause of scrapie is unknown, it is thought to be associated with the presence of an abnormal form of a protein called a prion. Other countries, including the USA and Great Britain, are already working to reduce the incidence of scrapie and eventually eradicate it from their flocks. In order to remain competitive and maintain market access, it is in Canada's best interest to increase resistance to scrapie and to establish prevalence of this disease so that it does not become a trade barrier in the future. The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) and several provincial agricultural ministries have launched a surveillance program to detect scrapie in the national sheep flock and goat herd. The goal of this program is to identify infected animals in Canada to ensure that proper steps can be taken to completely eradicate the disease from our country. General requirements include reporting deads on farm over the age of 12 months and complete brain testing.

Prions would be fun to study but not because one had a personal interest because they had the disease caused by the eating of them. Thank you Akrnaf2 for your thorough reply and loved the two photos...magnificent cross and one I may hope to achieve given similar breeds of sheep in the hair sheep Dorpers. Another way to RE-invent the wheel in all these "sheep breeds" but if we all sit down to a delightful meal of tasty good for you lamb...we will all be winners. Doggone & Chicken UP! Tara Lee Higgins Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

It seems that sheep meat lovers search for the same taste! Indeed the Awassi is a breed that have some Persian gene inside it. When I eat lamb I am seeking for the" Moutonish" tast, but not so strong as it is in the Awassi, I prefer it more sublime. My uncle in the outer hand, won't eat anthing elss but the Awassi thst we call it here "Baladi" And you can call me Benny

 

[Akrnaf2]

Did you ever eat goat? It is wonderful only in it first year the best are the ones at age 6-7 month.

 

[perchie.girl]

Did you ever eat goat? It is wonderful only in it first year the best are the ones at age 6-7 month.

I have.... Once at a barbecue and once in a Mexican restaurant... Didnt like the barbeque.... But that was because it was cooked to death. Biarra which is a goat stew was very good. I found it half way between Beef and Lamb.

deb

 

[Akrnaf2]

I agree, I think that meat quality is shown better in cooking than on the grill