I see a lot of members here are from abroad so this looks like an appropriate place to ask what they refer to as "Mutton". Goat VS Sheep Mutton in India or may be just North India is Goat meat and Lamb is not something you could find easily. There may be places to get Lamb at Delhi somewhere, but I don't know of any. I did have Lamb when I went to Kashmir for a few days where a friend invited me for dinner at his place and it was very different from the Goat meat that I am used to here in Delhi. The difference between Goat and Lamb is not something you can miss if you are used to one or the other and try the other one. Goat meat has a stronger flavour to it and Lamb is a lot tender as compared to Goat meat. I am told Goat is closer to rabbit, I have never had rabbit meat so cannot comment on that In North India if you ask for mutton, you would be served with Goat meat. Lamb or sheep is not widely available from my own experience. I am not even sure why us Indians eat more Goat as compared to Lamb because I personally find Lamb meat to be a lot better than Goat. I wonder what they call Goat meat and Lamb where you come from and what is the difference between Goat meat and Lamb meat according to you. I would also like to know which one do you prefer Goat or Lamb if given a choice. I am sure there will be many members who have only had one or the other so this thread is going to be an interesting one. I personally find lamb meat to be a lot softer as compared to goat meat.
In England they refer to sheep (adult lamb) meat as mutton, its not that popular here and neither is goat meat, although goat meat has become more available in the last few years, particularly in the south of England. Theres nothing like the taste of goat meat when its cooked well with plenty of spices, it can be succulent and delicious. If you want great Goat meat, don't come to England, go to India, its far far better there, particularly when my wifes mother cooks it.
Lamb is pretty popular here in my country - but I've never had goat before. A friend of mine actually tried goat meat on a vacation to the Caribbean - I believe that goat meat is pretty popular there! He loved it and actually said it was one of his favorite meats he's ever tried. Still not sure if I would be game to try it though. I've had lamb but didn't really enjoy it and I haven't eaten it in years.
Similar to Uk and Us, here in Singapore it is lamb which takes precedence over goat meat. Though goat may not be famous for its meat, goat's milk has many takers here, I haven't tried it myself. Just across the border in Malaysia goat meat is available in plenty as there are many goat farms and it is sacrificed during the major festivals.
I have to admit while I've had all the usual meat, I've never had goat, and I'm not sure I like the idea either to be honest. I guess I won't know till I try it but if I had the choice, even just to try it, it wouldn't be the first option I chose I don't think.
I personally have tried both. I only had goat meat once though, and I didn't like it at all. I had it on a trip to the Dominican Republic, located in the Caribbean, and they make it with wine, tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, onions, and black pepper. On the same trip I tried lamb cooked on a grill, and it was to die for. I honestly never want to try goat meat again, but I'll take the lamb any day.
Can I ask what goat meat tastes like? Do you have something to compare it to that we've all probably had, for example is it tough or tender? A lot of people say that most meat you've never had before tends to taste like chicken, but I'd imagine goat meat to be quite tough and dry, depending on how it's cooked of course.
I haven't had either, but I have been told about it. I was told that goat was similar to venison, but with less of a game taste. Lamb has always been described to me as being tender. I would think it really depends on the person preparing them meat for you. Some meat really requires someone that knows what they are doing in the kitchen. If you are not a fan of the things they put with the meat, you definitely will not like the dish.
Well I've had venison in the past and I'm not a fan of that either so that's definitely put me off now! I do agree though that with a lot of food, it's all about how it's cooked, and sometimes even the worst dishes can be made edible if it's prepared, seasoned and cooked in the right manner.
I come from a country that eats every part of the pig, also deer, sheep, goat, cow (but not that much than in the USA). I can totally say that even lamb or rabbit can be tasty if its prepared the right way. My father is master cook and when it comes to meat my whole family eats all the types of animals he prepares. I am personally a vegetarian, but rI remember from my childhood eating rabbit and goat and we never thought its bad tasting or unethical in any way.
I think that's a good point and if you feel comfortable from an early age eating a certain type of animal then you will all your life. Personally I've never even had rabbit because my first pet was a rabbit, so that's always put me off, but I know a lot of people that have had it, and its just classed as another meal to them.
Yes! totally agree, I think that the social definitions you grew up in can really shape your ways as an adult. And its not just about eating habits.
I have tried a goat curry and it was surprisingly good. I had a lamb curry too and it was so soft! It was probably the most tender meat I have ever had in my life. You could just tell that that sheep had a good life. The best meal i have ever had. It opened up my mind to what types of meats I could incorporate into my diet.
Curried goat is exactly the dish I was thinking about when I saw this thread. In fact I think it's probably the only dish that I've seen on a menu that's had goat used as the ingredient. It's not changing my mind though, I'll choose the other option and just stick to the more traditional beef, lamb or chicken!
It's also the life the animal is living, as you already mentioned it. Like my family says that eating lamb in Greece and other Mediterranean countries is always better because you can feel on their meat that they ate wildly grown spices (like thyme and rosemary from the side of the road) all their life.
I for one am not a lover of goat meat. I tried it once and didn't care for it at all. I have eaten lamb prepared different ways and each time I find it delicious. I will never try or eat goat meat again. I also don't like goat milk.
After what I've heard from a few friends I'm in no hurry to try goat meat. Now on the other hand, lamb does sound good. I heard that lamb dishes are delicious. I would love to try curry lamb when I am there.
Me neither - and goat's cheese? Ugh!! I have no idea why restaurants think it's such a fancy thing to put in a dish when it's such a revolting...I mean, acquired...taste. I just LOVE lamb though - slow roasted with mint sauce and gravy...YUM!
When I see anything related to goat in foods I run the other way. Goat meat, milk, and cheese is an acquired taste and not for me. I do love lamb and from time to time buy lamb chops to cook at home.
Lamb is really good; I like lamb. I've never had goat meat or sheep, though. What is the consistency of it? Is it similar to pig or chicken meat in texture, or is it different from that?
I'd tried goat once and that was the one and only time. I'll never eat it again. Give me lamb any day of the week. I love the different ways lamb can be cooked. I'm curious how they prepare lamb in India. Hope I can try some lamb with curry.
I've tried both, and in my opinion, I will take goat meat over lamb any time of the day. Lamb (or the ones I ate) has this really annoying, gritty texture that I really don't like. While goat meat is soft, smooth, and juicy.and just, well delicious!
I love lamb. In fact, it is actually one of my favorite types of meats. I have tried goat once or twice, but I really did not like its taste at all as it is very strong in flavor. Goat meat is costlier as compared to lamb where I live.
I have tried both goat meat and mutton or lamb, but I did not like either of them actually. I am more of a fish person in general.
Curried goat is a fantastic dish if you get it cooked the right way. I know goat meat to be called mutton and lamb meat is simply that - lamb. I've had lamb before , well seasoned in a kebab style but I did not really enjoy it as it was tasty but more on the chewy side so I had achy jaws and trouble swallowing after a long time chewing. I have not given up on it though. I just haven't found anyone who cooks it the right way yet.
I do not mean to offend any culture or belief but I am not a fan of either goat or lamb meat. For me, they have a really nasty smell even when they're cooked! I am a picky eater and if I don't like the smell that the food gives off, I would most likely not eat it, no matter how delicious they say it is. I don't like the after taste they leave behind after consumption.
I am sorry to hear that. I have always found lamb and goat to be pretty bland, which is why it goes so well with a lot of spices. Personally, I don't mind most meats, even horse. By the way, horse is really good, better than beef. I have even tried dog and cat, which to me is a lot like rabbit. I think a lot just comes down to how it is prepared. When you slaver meat in a thick sauce, it doesn't really taste like meat anyway. I say try it in a stew or a kebab.
Yet another deja vu on this forum. I feel like I already wrote about this but maybe it was a glitch and it didn't post my comment. Anyway, from the standpoint of animal kingdom mutton, lamb and hogget are all the type of meat of domestic sheep. This terminology is used in kitchen for old meat, somewhere in the middle and young sheep meat. There is a precise age and everything but this is just roughly. I really didn't know that mutton stands for goat meat as well. Maybe that is a thing in Asia. I am pretty sure that in Europe this is the classification.
I honestly think lamb is better, and that goat meat is incredibly chewy/hard to eat, but maybe it's the cook's fault, and not the animals'. In any event, I always stick to just beef, pork, and chicken, as both lamb and goat are considered as rare and expensive delicacies in my country and frankly, I don't have the money to spend on such luxuries anyway.
There seems to be a lot of confusion between Lamb, sheep and goat in this thread. Technically speaking lamb is sheep that is less than one year old and is used for meat. Mutton comes from sheep that is more than a year old so not called lamb meat any more. In India however, goat meat is generally referred to as mutton. I hope this answers all the queries.
You know, I haven't really had much of either goat or lamb, so I cannot really say which I like better. However, I did go to this Indian restaurant here in the States that had a phenomenal goat dish. I couldn't get enough of it, so I'm going to have to say goat is my favorite. Where I'm from, we refer to any sheep meat as lamb -- mutton or lamb is just referred to lamb here unless you feel like getting really specific.
Well, I have never tasted the Lamb meat, but I do not really think it is way too different than the Goat's meat, I have tried Goat meat, we call them "Chivos" in my country, the meat is really smooth and soft, it has a good taste, especially when you mix the meat with some potatoes, tomatoes, and some peppers to add the spicy touch, it's really delicious, it also depends on how you cook it, I highly recommend it.
That's interesting because I have never tasted goat meat. Lamb is a delicacy unless it's mutton and then you can buy it from a food vendor - usually in the gyro sandwich. I did not know that anyone referred to goat as mutton or actually ate goats. I do have some friends who are enthusiastic goat milk eaters and will tell anyone who is listening that goat cheese is superior to cow milk and cheese.
It is tough yeah and has a disgusting stench but it certainly doesn't taste like chicken. Fact though is grilled goat meat tastes great. It's tastier than grilled steak or ribs but there's the smell . . . That said though grilled goat does taste better than lamb I'd prefer lamb any day.
Mutton refers to goat meat in most of the places in India I have been to. Personally, I prefer lamb to goat meat, but my impression of most people is that they prefer mutton (goat meat). I don't know how to properly describe the differences of the two kind of meat, but I find lamb to be much tastier, Lamb roast is among my favorite dishes.
Goat meat is more popular here than sheep meat which, from what I know, is called mutton. But I like sheep meat that is usually called lamb in restaurant. In fact, my favorite Indian (and Middle Eastern) food is the lamb briyani. Last week, I had tasted that again in Hongkong. We never fail to eat in that Indian restaurant for that lamb biryani. By the way, I have noticed that it is called Biryani in Hongkong and Briyani in Singapore. And back to the topic, I like lamb than goat's meat although let's say I like them both especially when the dish is quite spicy.
There are different terms for the same thing in different regions so it is a bit difficult to have an answer that would apply uniformly. Generally speaking a goat or sheep less than one year old is called a lamb and its meat is also called lamb. Did you notice the lamb prices in India? They have tripled in the last five-six years and still on the rise. This is most likely due to a complete ban on cow slaughter. It is a good time to start a goat/lamb farm in India.
I have tasted both I think, one particular meat is chewier than the other, I'm not sure which one it is, but it would be good if someone can tell me so I can avoid that one as I didn't really like the chewy taste.
Goat meat is generally chewier as compared to lamb but if you cook goat meat on slow heat for longer then it becomes very tender especially in gravies. Goat meat also has a lot lesser fat at least the goat meat here in India has less fat, cannot say about goat breeds available abroad.
Wow, that explains why goat curry tastes better than any other kind of curry. That's the only recipe I've tried eating goat, are there any goat recipes?
I generally prefer goat meat seekh kebabs which are available at shops ready to cook. Mutton rogan josh also tastes good. In Indian homes people just make mutton curry and not those fancy names you see in restaurant menus. Mutton curry with either rice or chapattis.
That sounds delicious - I may wanna try that mutton curry with chapattii By the way, is mutton meat tender?
