MUTTON

the dre ed flesh of the sheep after it has pa ed the lamb stage (see Lamp). It is preferably of a sheep not over—or at all events not much over—two years of age, as otherwise the fat is liable to have a tallowy flavor. It 1s generally best in the winter, then being usually more delicate and juicy. Quality depends chiefly on the breed and the feeding of the sheep; also to some extent on the sex. ‘he wether (the castrated male) is the best but is not often obtainable at a desirable age for mutton—it is, commonly, either slaughtered earlier for lamb or held for wool. Next in line are ewes. Rams are undesirable—their flesh is coarse in texture and over-strong in flavor. In England and France both breeding and feeding have received more attention than in the United States but -. foe — Bros. A sheep ranch near Lethbridge, Alberta our domestic product is steadily improving. The lean should he fine-grained and ) firm and of darkish, clear red color, and the fat firm and white. If the flesh is flabby or the kidney-fat soft, it is from a poor carca . Diagrams 1 and 2 show a division of the carca practised in many parts of the country. Diagram 3 is a well recognized eastern method. The weight of a dre ed carca ranges generally from fifty to a hundred pounds. The choicest flesh is from those weighing from ninety to a hundred. See also the color-plate opposite. The description in the Department of Agriculture Bulletin accompanying Diagrams 1 and 2 comments on the fact that the euts in a side of lamb or mutton generally number only six, three in each quarter. The chuck includes the ribs as far as di fy 1 t Vil 7 Diagram 3 1 Neck \3 [4 | 2 Shoulder 3 Rack or Chops: }: ch 5 Loin Meet yuh, ee Forequarter—1, 2, 3, 4 Diagrams 1 AnD 2 Hindquarter—5, 6 1 Neck 2 Chuck 3 Shoulder 4 Flank 5 Loin the end of the shoulder-blades; the loin reaches from the chuck hack to the leg; and the flank is made to include all the under-side of the animal. Some butchers make a larger number of cuts from the forequarter, taking a portion of the lom and chuck to make a cut known as ‘‘rib’’; and part of the flank and shoulder as ‘‘brisket.’’ The term ‘‘chops’’ is ordinarily used to designate portions of either the loin, ribs, chuck, or shoulder, eut (or ‘‘chopped’’) by the butcher into pieces suitable for frying or broiling. The so-called ‘‘French chops”’ are from the ‘‘rack,’’ a term applied to the chuck and ribs. The tenderest part of the sheep, as of other meat animals, is the tenderloin— hence the traditional popularity of the true mutton-chop. An ‘* English mutton-chop’’ is, in general principles, a chop cut especially thick.; The most economical joint is the hind leg—if of a good carca it shows a very small percentage of waste. Mauy Asnericans harbor a prejudice against the use of mutton, finding the flesh exce ively ‘‘muttony,’’ or ‘‘sheepy,’’ or ‘‘woolly.’? This is due to the poor stock formerly sold here—many of the animals slaughtered were of breeds unsuitable for 7 mutton, ill-fed, badly eared for, and old. The flesh of a young, well-bred, well-fed sheep, guarded from foreign odors and kept in a good refrigerator, is as tender, nutritious, and finely flavored a meat as any one could wish to enjoy. It is particularly important that mutton should be kept from exposure to the air or to any strong smelling foods or other odors, for it absorbs odors more readily than other meats do. For the same reason, any pieces of fat or skin which smell too ‘‘muttony’’ should be trimmed off. It is this faculty of absorption that makes both Jamb and mutton especially suitable for stews or ragouts, for they draw into and incorporate with themselves the aromas and flavors of the various herbs and vegetables cooked with them. To be avoided in the case of both lamb and mutton is the use of an exce of fat —the meat that goes into the stew or ragout should indeed be trimmed almost clear or the result may grievously offend a fastidious stomach. This is especially the case with mutton because of the high melting-point of its fat. A sharp sauce—as eaper or horseradish—is also recommended for service with boiled mutton, and the gravy which aecompanies a roast may be acidulated by the addition of currant jelly. In this country the preference is for lamb instead of mutton. In England the reverse is the case. The most famous English product is the ‘‘South down mutton,’’ and its unique reputation persists despite the high merit of the more profitable mutton secured by cro ing ‘‘South downs’’ with other breeds. Its fine flavor has been attributed to a little insect flourishing in the fie pastures of the Su ex downs. In France the best is the pré salé (‘‘salt field’’), so called because the sheep browse on the absinthe mixed herbage of the salt marshes along the seacoast.