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Lamb - Meat cuts manual

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Diagram of meat cuts
Skeletal diagram
Meat cut nomenclature and description

List of meat cut modifiers
Variety meats

Lamb - Diagram of meat cuts

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Diagram of meat cuts - lamb. Description follows.
Description for photo - Diagram of meat cuts - Lamb

This chart shows the meat cuts from a side of lamb.

  • The leg consists of the following cuts:
    • shank
    • leg, shank portion (A)
    • leg, butt portion
  • The whole loin consists of the following cuts:
    • loin
    • rib
  • The front consists of the following cuts:
    • shoulder
    • breast
    • neck
    • shank
  • Alternative leg cuts consist of the following:
    • shank
    • leg, shank portion (B)
    • sirloin
Alternative cuts - Side

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Alternative cuts - Side. Description follows.
Description for photo – Diagram of meat cuts - Alternative side cuts

This diagram shows the alternative side cuts of lamb.

Alternative side cuts of lamb consist of:

  • hind quarter
  • front quarter
Alternative cuts - Carcass

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Alternative cuts - Carcass. Description follows.
Description for photo – Diagram of meat cuts – Alternative carcass cuts

This diagram shows the alternative carcass cuts of lamb.

  • The hind half consists of the following cuts:
    • leg, double
    • sirloin, double
    • loin, double
  • The front half consists of the following cuts:
    • rib and flank, double
    • rib (rack), double
    • front, double
    • shoulder, double
  • The whole loin, double consists of the following cuts:
    • loin, double
    • rib (rack), double
Lamb - Skeletal diagram

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Lamb - Skeletal diagram. Description follows.
Description for photo - Diagram of meat cuts - Lamb skeletal diagram

This chart shows the skeletal view of a lamb.

  • The lamb consists of:
    • tail bones
    • sacrum
    • back bones (lumbar vertebrae 1-7)
    • back bones (thoracic vertebrae 1-13)
    • neck bones (cervical vertebrae 1-7)
    • tarsal joint
    • hind shank bones (tibia/fibula)
    • stifle joint (tibio-femoral joint)
    • leg bone (femur)
    • aitch bone (ischium)
    • rump knuckle bone (head of femur/acetabulum)
    • pin bone (ilium/tuber coxae)
    • rib cartilage
    • breast bone (sternum)
    • blade bone (scapula)
    • arm bone (humerus)
    • fore shank (radius/ulna)
    • carpal joint

Meat cut nomenclature and description

1. Lamb: means the meat derived from a dressed carcass of an ovine animal that meets the maturity characteristics set out in Schedule 1 – Maturity Characteristics for Lamb Carcasses of the Canadian Grade Compendium, Volume 1 – Ovine Carcasses and Poultry Carcasses.

Note: meat derived from a dressed carcass of an ovine animal which does not meet the specifications prescribed for lamb shall be referred to as mutton.

2. Dressed lamb carcass: means the carcass of a lamb from which the skin, head and feet at the carpal and tarsal joints have been removed and the carcass has been eviscerated.

2.1 Front half: means the anterior portion of the dressed lamb carcass which is separated from the hind half by a cut following the natural curvature between the eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) rib.

Description of front half

2.2 Hind half: means the posterior portion of the dressed lamb carcass which is separated from the front half, as described.

Description of hind half

3. Side: means one (1) of the two (2) approximately equal portions of a dressed lamb carcass obtained by cutting from the tail to the neck along the median line.

3.1 Front quarter: means the anterior portion of the side which is separated from the hind quarter by a cut following the natural curvature between the eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) rib.

Description of front quarter

3.2 Hind quarter: means the posterior portion of the side which is separated from the front quarter, as described.

Description of hind quarter

4. Front: means that portion of the side which is separated from the whole loin and flank, by a straight cut passing between the sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) rib.

Front, double: means the anterior portion of the front half which is separated from the rib and flank, double by a straight cut passing between the sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) rib.

Description of front

4.1 Shank (fore shank): means that portion of the front which is separated from the breast by a straight cut passing through the base of the arm bone (distal extremity of the humerus) and follows the natural seam of the elbow.

Description of shank (fore shank)

4.2 Breast: means that portion of the front which is separated from the shank as described in item 4.1, and from the shoulder by a straight cut which passes through the base of the shaft of the arm bone (distal end of the humerus) approximately at right angles to the cut edge of the front.

Description of breast

4.3 Neck: means that portion of the front which is separated from the shoulder by a straight cut passing through the fifth (5th) neck bone (cervical vertebra).

Description of neck

4.4 Shoulder: means that portion of the front which is separated from the breast and neck as described in items 4.2 and 4.3, respectively.

Shoulder, double: means that portion of the front, double which is separated from the neck and breast, as described.

Description of shoulder

5. Leg: means the posterior portion of the side which is separated from the whole loin and flank by a straight cut passing immediately in front of (anterior to) the pin bone (ilium or tuber coxae).

Leg, double: means the posterior portion of the hind half which is separated from the whole loin, double and flanks by a straight cut passing immediately in front of (anterior to) the pin bone (ilium or tuber coxae).

Description of leg

5.1 Shank (hind shank): means that portion of the leg which is separated from the leg shank portion by cutting through the stifle joint (tibio-femoral joint).

Description of Shank

5.2 Leg, shank portion (A): means that portion of the leg which is separated from the shank as described in item 5.1, and from the leg, butt portion by a straight cut passing through the middle of the shaft of the leg bone (femur) approximately at right angles.

Description of leg, shank portion (A)

5.3 Leg, shank portion (B): is an alternative portion of the leg which is separated from the shank as described and in item 5.1, from the sirloin by a straight cut passing in front of (anterior to) the rump knuckle bone (acetabulum/head of femur).

Description of leg, shank portion (B)

5.4 Leg, butt portion: means that portion of the leg which is separated from the leg, shank portion (A) by a straight cut passing through the middle of the shaft of the leg bone (femur) approximately at right angles.

Description of leg, butt portion

5.5 Sirloin: is an alternative portion of the leg which is separated from the leg, shank portion (B) or leg, short cut (see 5.6) by a straight cut passing immediately in front of (anterior to) the rump knuckle bone (acetabulum/head of femur).

Sirloin, double: means the anterior portion of the leg, double which is separated from the leg, short cut, as described.

Description of sirloin

5.6 Leg, short cut: means the leg from which the sirloin has been removed.

Description of leg, short

6. Whole loin: means that portion of the side which is separated from the front and leg as described in items 4 and 5, respectively, and from the flank by a straight cut approximately parallel to the backbone (vertebral column) passing through the thirteenth (13th) rib, approximately at the beginning of the costal cartilage.

Whole loin, double: means that portion of the dressed lamb carcass which is separated from the flank, by a straight cut approximately parallel to the back bones (vertebral column) passing through the thirteenth (13th) rib, approximately at the beginning of the costal cartilage. It consists of the loin, double and rib (rack), double, attached.

Description of whole loin

6.1 Loin: means that posterior portion of the whole loin which is separated from the rib by a straight cut passing behind (posterior to) the last rib (13th rib).

Note: the loin shall contain no part of the rib.

Loin, double: means the posterior portion of the whole loin, double which is separated from the rib, (rack) double by a straight cut passing behind (posterior to) the last rib (13th rib).

Description of loin

6.2 Rib: means that anterior portion of the whole loin which is separated from the loin as described in item 6.1.

Note: the rib or part thereof prepared as a roast may be referred to as rack.

Rib (rack), double: means the anterior portion of the whole loin, double which is separated from the loin, double, as described.

Description of rib

7. Flank: means that portion of the side which is separated from the front, leg and whole loin as described in items 4, 5 and 6, respectively.

Description of flank

8. Rib and flank, double: means the posterior portion of the front half which is separated from the front, double by a straight cut passing between the sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) rib. It consists of the rib (rack) and rib portion of the flank, attached.

Description of rib and flank

List of meat cut modifiers

Note: While not required, these modifiers may be used to describe lamb cuts provided they are informative and not misleading.

Variety meats

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