Butchering, Taste and Age

[WolfeMomma]

When we lived in Montana we ordered lamb from a ranch that did grass fed lamb. It tasted great, nice sweet mild flavor. This is nothing like that at all, I find it to smell to much like the actual animal. We picked katahdins to raise because everyone said it was more mild....now I'm doubting our decision .
I have also heard great things about crossing them with a dorper, maybe it's something I will research it a little bit more thanks for all the advice and thoughts guys!

 

[greybeard]

I know he was kept with ewes before he was butchered could that of effected it?

Well, I am not a sheep person but from everything I know about animal reproduction/breeding, the production of adrenaline in the days/hours just before slaughter can have a profound effect on taste of meat. I have also read reports that adrenaline can have undesirable effects on the 'quality' of meat..including increasing toughness. That's probably very debatable..

 

[WolfeMomma]

Does consuming corn or a high protein feed make it a stronger taste?

 

[mysunwolf]

Corn and other grains should make the taste milder. Grasses and pasture make the taste stronger. Legumes and alfalfa are usually considered in the taste stronger category.

@Latestarter you're right, hair sheep do have very low lanolin! I think there's another component going on in certain hair breeds (I can think of St. Croix, BB, and Katahdin) that changes the taste. Whereas the Dorpers seem to be really mild in flavor (at least, mine have been), in addition to being very tender. I didn't like them because they weren't as friendly as my Katahdins, and seemed to have more feet, udder, and parasite issues. As far as favorite wool breeds (mostly crosses) for meat, I have only had the Cotswold, Dorset, East Friesian, and Icelandic and found all of them much nicer than the Dorper and especially the Katahdin I have had.

@greybeard is right in that poor handling in the form of spiked adrenaline can really mess up the lamb taste, but I think this, too, depends on breed. Some breeds are more flighty and seem to amp up their adrenaline faster under stress...

I think this is the old breed or feed debate, people have the same debates about hogs and chickens. I come strongly down on the side that different breeds have VERY different meat qualities because I've raised them and tasted the differences.

 

[goatgurl]

@WolfeMomma i'm sorry that you are having a taste issue with your lamb. I raise katahdins and normally butcher my wethers at about 15 to 18 months old and the meat is always very mild and tender. a couple of years ago I butchered a 2 1/2 year old ram after breeding season and could honestly not tell the difference between the ram and the wethers. I know that if the butcher isn't careful and contaminates the meat with the skin side of the sheep where the lanolin is it can cause an off flavor. I hope you get it figured out.

 

[AClark]

Not related to breed etc, but rather than waste that meat on expensive dog food, you can soak it and remove a lot of the gamey flavor.

Soak in water for 30 minutes, salt it liberally and sit for an hour, then scrape salt and rinse before cooking...

OR my favorite, soak in milk or buttermilk over night before cooking. That takes the funk out of wild hog really well.

 

[WolfeMomma]

@goatgurl We have found a different butcher that we will try in the future if we don't end up doing it our selves. We hunt so processing a lamb won't be much harder then deer I imagine.
I will try soaking it in water, or butter milk and hope that makes a difference.

 

[animalmom]

@WolfeMomma, would you let us know if soaking improved the flavor? Inquiring minds would really like to know. Please and thank you.

 

[WolfeMomma]

@animalmom No problem, Ill let you know how it turns out.

On another note, when looking for a butcher to process our future lambs are there any questions that you suggest I ask in regards to how they process sheep. There are several around here, I'm not sure which would be the best bet. Ill ask on our local farming group on Facebook as well.

 

[AClark]

@WolfeMomma, would you let us know if soaking improved the flavor? Inquiring minds would really like to know. Please and thank you.

I know for a fact it works on wild game, I can't see why it wouldn't work on sheep. I personally don't mind a gamey flavor, but wild hogs smell "funny" and off putting until they are soaked/brined.