For Lamb we mean a young specimen (not older than 12 months) of sheep (female) or ram (male, also called ram); from a taxonomic point of view, the animal belongs to the Bovidae family, Capridae subfamily, Genus Ovis, Species aries; the binomial nomenclature of the lamb, therefore, is Ovis aries.
The lamb is a herbivorous domestic creature subject to human breeding. It can be slaughtered at a young age for the production of meat or, if left to mature, for the production of:
- Milk and derivatives (sheep)
- Wool (sheep and ram)
- Meat (sheep and mutton, the latter being castrated or fertile).
Description
The lamb is a herbivorous animal. Initially it feeds exclusively on its mother's milk and weaning takes place about 6 weeks after birth. The lamb has a dentition provisional and is characterized by eight milk incisors (on the mandible) of which only the two front ones are replaced at about 12 months of life; the others undergo replacement over a period of 4 years or more.
Compared to the adult animal (from 1 to 16-19 years), the lamb is smaller and variable according to the breed it belongs to; sometimes the hair (still not completely woolly) is darker than the sheep and the ram, while the horns (if present, again based on the breed) are not well formed.
NB. The horns of the sheep, contrary to what one might believe, are not always a peculiarity of the ram; some breeds have them in both sexes, others in neither of them, still others see them sprouting on the sheep instead of on the ram.
Lamb meat - gastronomy
Lamb meat can be classified as lean, although it is necessary to bear in mind that the values shown below refer to the pieces "deprived of visible fat". The lipid content essentially depends on the cut but, in principle, it is never comparable to that of adult sheep, cattle or pigs. The lamb, in its lean pieces, is in any case fatter (even if slightly) compared to breast made from skinless avian meat (chicken, turkey, etc.). On the other hand, remember that traditional lamb-based recipes are almost never dietetic, except for grilled ribs; a light variant of lamb in the oven is "Lamb with pistachios" (Video recipes by Alice) , while the fattest preparations based on lamb are: fried lamb chops (breaded), lamb in fricassee (plenty of oil), leg of lamb larded in the oven, etc.
Lamb with pistachios
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See also the recipe for "light lamb with herbs"
Properties and nutritional values
The lipids contained in the lamb are mainly saturated but, as they are contained in modest quantities, they should not negatively affect the lipemia of the healthy subject. The amount of cholesterol does not differ much from the average of the meats on the market, but it is advisable to be careful alla coratella, as it belongs to the group of offal.
The overall energy intake is not excessive and for some cuts it even appears low; the most important one refers to the average of meat deprived of visible fat (Lamb, raw), since these also include the belly and other more lipid parts.
Among the mineral salts the contents of potassium and iron stand out (the latter very useful in case of iron deficiency anemia), while for what concerns the vitamins the contribution of niacin (vit. PP) is remarkable.
Nutritional composition per 100g of Lamb, raw; Lamb cooked; Lamb, leg, raw; Lamb, leg, cooked; Lamb, cutlet, raw; Lamb, cutlet, cooked; Lamb offal [heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys] - Reference Values of the Food Composition Tables - INRAN
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