Family Features
This grilling season, choose lean,
tender lamb as the centerpiece for
your summer entertaining menu.
Once served only for Easter,
there’s no reason why lamb can’t be
enjoyed all year long. Just as turkey
has moved beyond Thanksgiving to
become everyday fare, the same is
true with lamb meat — it’s readily
available for all seasons and easy to
prepare, allowing for lamb kabobs,
burgers, thinly sliced leg of lamb
and chops to be a delicious addition
to your grilling occasions.
Myths behind the meat
“In my career as a cookbook
26 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
author and cooking instructor,
I have never seen a more
misunderstood ingredient than
lamb,” said Amy Riolo, awardwinning author, chef, televi ion
s
personality and culinary educator.
“While prized in most other places in
the world, lamb remains a mystery to
most Americans.”
If you haven’t tried lamb in a
while, you may be surprised by
this flavorful protein. While often
confused for mutton,
the tougher meat of older lamb,
young lamb is tender. Others may
shy away from this choice protein,
believing it has a gamey taste. But
modern lamb is raised differently
than in the past, resulting in a
sweeter, succulent taste. Can lamb fit
into a healthy diet? Sure! This rich-
tasting meat contains, on average,
175 calories per 3-ounce serving.
Lastly, people assume it’s expensive;
but value cuts, such as the shoulder,
leg and ground lamb can fit into any
grocery budget.
A better-for-you selection
Serve up lean lamb cuts —
including the leg, loin and rack —
for a protein- and nutrient-packed
dish. In fact, on average, a 3-ounce
serving delivers almost 50 percent
of your daily protein needs and is
a good source of iron. Also rich in
zinc, selenium and vitamin B-12,
a 3-ounce serving of lamb can
provide nearly five times the amount
of essential omega-3 fatty acids
when compared to beef. Lamb is
also raised without the addition of
synthetic hormones.