Romney Sheep
Went into The Meat Market in Great Barrington the other day, in search of inspiration, and spied a very lean-looking leg of lamb.
"It's a Romney," said the butcher. "We don't get them very often."
"What's different about that breed?" I wondered.
Sheep, he explained, are divided into two categories: wool sheep and meat sheep. Romney, apparently, are the exception. They have excellent wool - and tasty meat.
Not sure about the wool part, but I can attest that this was the most delicious lamb I've ever cooked. The meat is very mild, without a hint of that gaminess so many people find objectionable.
I love lamb. I especially love leg of lamb for dinner parties because it's the most forgiving cut of meat- delicious no matter how much (or little) you cook it. Unlike beef, which is, in my opinion, hardly worth eating unless it's rare, lamb is delicious in every state from rare to well done. You can put it in the oven with no worries. I always cook lamb with rosemary and garlic, so it makes the house fantastically fragrant as it cooks.
Now that I've discovered Romney lamb, I've got a problem; when am I ever going to find more?