The Difference Between American Lamb Vs Imported Lamb - Meat N' Bone

The Difference Between American Lamb Vs Imported Lamb

· Updated Posted by Meat N' Bone

When it comes to lamb, you either love it or hate it. You either care for it or you don't. I particularly LOVE a good lamb chop. When I started Meat N' Bone, I had very good working knowledge of beef. But lamb? No idea.

I don't eat a lot of Lamb. Turns out I am about as average as can be. I consume about 1 lb of lamb per year, which happens to be the same as the average American.

Australian & New Zealand Lamb

There are two dominant producers of lamb in the world: Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have long produced lamb for their wool industry. So lamb meat is a bi-product. That means that it's primarily raised for wool production.

Australia and New Zealand account for about 36% of the production of wool in the world which is why they can be so aggressive with their pricing of lamb meat. To paint a clearer picture of the sheer scale of their production, there are more sheep than people in New Zealand.

If you walk into a supermarket, you will usually find lamb from either Australia and New Zealand. It is relatively inexpensive (about $50 for an average quality lamb rack) and it will be a young lamb (less than 12 months old) and grass-fed.

lamb chops

The American Lamb Difference

While America is also a significant exporter of wool (16% of worlds exports), the lamb that is put up for sale is primarily raised to be consumed. Most American lamb comes form the US Midwest.

American lamb is usually larger and has the highest quality and consistency. It is raised eating grass and finished with high quality grain. The "grain" makes a world of a difference. It also makes raising lamb a lot more expensive (American lamb can be twice as expensive as imported lamb).

Grain finished lamb is less "gamy" than imported Lamb and it presents significant marbling (intramuscular fat) which makes it a lot more flavorful. Grain fed lamb is also more tender than grass fed lamb.

American Lamb is basically raised like beef. It is raised for taste and tenderness. It presents an exceptionally mild and buttery taste. The average American lamb is much larger than the average imported lamb. It is considered to have the highest quality and consistency. 

The lamb we sell at Meat N' Bone comes from hand-selected family farmers and ranchers. Our lambs are born and humanely raised without the use of artificial growth hormones and animal bi-products.

Our lambs are USDA inspected and hand-selected to meet our standards for proper finish, weight and age. Artisan butchers hand-process our fresh lambs daily to exacting specifications.

Want to learn more about American Lamb? Checkout this page for even more information!

 

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About The Difference Between American Lamb Vs Imported Lamb

American lamb is a lot different to imported Australian & New Zealand lamb. It's raised for taste & tenderness & presents an exceptionally mild and buttery taste.

Questions

What is the main difference between American lamb and imported lamb?

American lamb is raised for consumption and grain-finished for flavor and tenderness, while imported lamb from Australia and New Zealand is grass-fed and primarily a by-product of the wool industry.

Why does American lamb cost more than imported lamb?

American lamb is more expensive due to its grain-finished diet, larger size, and focus on meat quality, whereas imported lamb is less costly because it is a secondary product from wool production.

How does the taste of American lamb compare to imported lamb?

American lamb is less gamy, more tender, and has a mild, buttery flavor thanks to its marbling and grain finish. Grain-finished lamb presents significant intramuscular fat which makes it more flavorful than grass-fed imported lamb.

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Where does Meat N' Bone source its lamb?

Meat N' Bone sources lamb from hand-selected family farmers and ranchers in the US Midwest, ensuring humane practices, USDA inspection, and no artificial growth hormones or animal by-products.

How is Meat N' Bone lamb processed and selected?

Lambs are artisan butchered daily and hand-selected for proper finish, weight, and age to meet Meat N' Bone's standards for quality and consistency.

What percentage of wool production do Australia and New Zealand account for?

Australia and New Zealand account for about 36% of the world's wool production, which allows them to be aggressive with their pricing of lamb meat.

How much lamb does the average American consume per year?

The average American consumes about 1 pound of lamb per year.

What age is imported lamb typically when sold?

Imported lamb from Australia and New Zealand is typically young lamb, less than 12 months old, and grass-fed.

How much does an average quality lamb rack cost in supermarkets?

An average quality lamb rack from Australia or New Zealand costs approximately $50 in supermarkets.

What percentage of wool exports does America account for?

America accounts for about 16% of the world's wool exports.