Mutton

Using Mutton in Indian Cooking

Mutton is the meat from a mature sheep and in its true definition the animal should be over two years old and hung for at least two weeks. This gives a really well flavoured meat that is tender and juicy when cooked correctly.

This is a fairly cheap cut of meat that has been out of favour in this country for many years. It does seem to be coming back into fashion now which I think is fantastic.

The meat is hugely underrated, when cooked slowly the flavour of the meat softens and sweetens to give a wonderful earthy flavour. I think mutton produces a delicious gravy which is amazing for pies, slow cooked Indian dishes, casseroles and spicy middle eastern tagines.

Mutton usually has to be ordered in but is available from most good butchers, farm shops and online retailers.

Cuts

These are pretty much the same as lamb but they are deeper in colour and bigger in size. The meat has a richer with an almost gamey flavour. When choosing your meat ensure that it is a beautiful rich brown colour and avoid anything with a yellow fat (mutton does tend to have more fat than lamb).

Indian Cooking

One of my favourite Indian dishes is a slow cooked mutton curry because it produces a really lovely thick sauce that is ideal for dunking naan bread into. I would usually cook mutton for about 30 minutes longer then I would lamb.