How to process a lamb?

M

Mikel_24

Joined
Sep 19, 2007
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Hello there,
We are actually planning a 10 day trip to Morocco (from April 3rd to 13th). We will be doing something like THIS but since two of the four rigs (T4 instead of T3), while being Syncro vans, are not that capable off road, we will avoid dunes if possible. We will be driving on paved roads, unpaved roads, dirt tracks and alike. We will stare away from the turistic routes as much as possible.

Right now we are into preparations (vehicle upgrades, spare parts gathering, logistics, food, water, gas, etc). While talking about the food and the chances of making some sort of BBQ, someone pointed out that we could buy a lamb from one of the native sheeperds and BBQ it. Seems to be a common practice there.

I am actually an expert on the BBQing and eating part of the process but (and I am somewhat ashamed of that :o) I have no fricking idea about how to process a live lamb from the living creature pasturing happily in the praires to the cook-able piece of meat.

I read about how to gut and skin furry small furry animals like rabits here in BF, but I don't know what to do with a lamb. How do I kill it? Do I need to cut a neck artery and let it bleed out untill it goes off by itself ? Do I need to hang it for a certain amount of time so the meats bleeds out? Is the meat edible right after killing it? How do I gut it? Are youtube videos about deer gutting of any help? I guess that after gutting and skinning the furry thing, quartering it would be pretty much straight forward. Any advice would be great and I am sure lots of hunters and farmers post here in Wilderness and Survival.

Thanks in advance,
Mikel
 
I have the old USDA booklet of doing a lamb and this IIRC is now available online or in other books. Get a lamb , not sheep, that is within 1 year old. Get one of at least 30 lbs to get enough meat.This also goes for goat.
Slit the throat and let it bleed out. IIRC Muslim practice ,like Jewish is to kill painlessly ,which is done by slitting the throat with a very sharp knife.
Gut it by slitting the body from anus through the breastbone to the neck and remove the insides.Skin it [easy]. Then cut it up as you wish .BBQ whole , flattened out, or in pieces. Moroocans also use it in making couscous which is a nice stew with couscous the grain.
Not a big process at all ! Enjoy !
 
Just curious, why lamb and not hogget or mutton? Personally I like mutton better.
 
Hogget? What's that? We used to raise sheep, never heard that term. Most folks like lamb better than mutton as it has a less "sheepy" taste, not as strong.

To the OP; I bet you could pay the person you get the lamb from to process the animal for you.

Andy
 
Hi Mikel,

Sounds like a neat trip. Take a look at this earlier thread where this was discussed. I described in detail (probably too much! :D) how to skin and gut an animal without fouling the meat.

-- FLIX
 
the shepard will most likely do it for you for a small fee, it would be done like a deer or other like sized animal.

i would slit the throat, then hag the animal get the hide off quickly as it will get stiff if you leave it on too long, keep a muslin bag to keep the flies of the meat, but you can cook it as soon as it is skinned and field dressed.

alex
 
Thank you all guys. I will read carefully the post linked by flix. I agree with you about having the shepard doing it for a small fee but somehow I, being the knife guy of the bunch, felt in need of at least knowing how to do it just in case the need arises.
I will let you all know once I come back from that trip.
Mikel
 
Wow that looks like it will be an amazing trip.

I've never butchered lamb, but when I was a kid I saw my Grandmother do a few. Her method was just slitting the throat, hooking the Lamb by the gap thing in their anke and hanging it up to bleed out. The blood was collected and used for stew and sausage making.
Now here comes the strange part. She would make a slit near the tigh, and insert a long piece of hollow tube style pasta, take a deep breath and blow. The hide would balloon up and seperate from the meat. Skinning was just a matter of pulling it the hide off like a nice merino blanket.

Make sure to bring back a few Douk Douks.
 
The "gap thing" is a gambrel ! Inflating the hide is one way of skinning for sheep, goats, deer.
 
the old timers would slit the skin , a small slit at the leg, and start to force air into the slit with their mouths, they would continue to force air under the skin and this would lift the skin off the muscles once it was all inflated they would open the skin and take it off like a jacket.

alex
 
hmmm

Speaking for myself only, I'd stun it with a hammer before slitting its throat.

As much as I hunt, I'd still put it out, before I put it down.


Kis
 
I agree with Kismet, I can't imagine slitting somethings throat being painless...I even knockout fresh caught trout before cleaning them...it's more of a respect thing I guess.

Sounds like a great adventure anyway, hope all goes well for you guys.
 
Shotgun , that first link says "not suitable for children" .That's a serious problem with our society, resulting with people having no connection between real ,live animals and the plastic wrapped steak from the supermarket !!
Once I butchered a goat for a friend. His 5 year old was there and said he wanted to watch. I explained that it wasn't pleasant ,I had to kill tha goat etc.I asked if he was sure he wanted to watch .He replied 'yes'. I then took the opportunity to give him a lesson in anatomy.As I butchered the goat I showed him the parts - here's the heart just like your heart, here's the spine just like your spine etc. He was, as are most kids that age , very curious and he paid close attention learning about animals and his own anatomy. He wasn't upset at all .
BTW the goat was never made a pet.If it had been a pet there would have been a very different reaction !!
 
An older sheep has very strong flavor. So make sure you get a younger one. There is sort of an art to butcher one. For some reason it does effect the taste. If you had one BBQ over an open flame. I think it would ruin you for the rest of you life. With the right herbs and spices bread and cheese.... If you could see me im drooling right now and no im not kidding.. I got a 2WD vw camper and its amazing where it can go as long as you got clearence. You just not going to do it fast lol.... I think you would have the trip of a life time doing that... Would you mind me asking how long are you going for and how much a trip like this might cost???

sasha
 
Hey Mete thats one way to make it and i had it like that with green onion and other veg stuffed inside you cook it till the fat starts to run off the meat. Cut the top layer about an inch thick you put it on top of home baked bread or Pita bread some some hard cheese and fresh basil and then besides it some fresh tomatoes. Simple fare but none better. There is a place where they sale a few months old lambs.. Not far from LA with all the talk i need to find the phone # again...

sasha
 
Thank you all for the info and for those graphic links.

sasha said:
...If you could see me im drooling right now and no im not kidding.. I got a 2WD vw camper and its amazing where it can go as long as you got clearence. You just not going to do it fast lol.... I think you would have the trip of a life time doing that... Would you mind me asking how long are you going for and how much a trip like this might cost???
sasha
Click to expand...

What VW camper do you own? I got a 2,5TDI T4 (102 bhp) and it runs like a champ. I usually cruise at 120kmh, which is the fastest we can drive here in Spain... an it still has a bit of gas pedal to go.

I am leaving on April 3rd and will be back on April 13th at night (hopefully!). Thats like 10 days. We have like 1600km from Bilbao to Marrakech, where the actual route will start. I calculate my costs like 10€/100km for gas so just to get in and out of there is going to cost me 160€x2 in gas + the ship (1vehicle + 2 people... uh... 200€ more). Add food supplies, gas burnt there in Morocco while travelling arround, a few odds... I estimate like 1000€ at most for two people (probably a tad less... I hope!) I will let you know the exact cost of the trip once I come back.

Mikel
 
G'day Andrew

Andrew Colglazier said:
Hogget? What's that?
Click to expand...

Hogget is in between young sheep (lamb) and old sheep (mutton).

Lamb is certainly more tender, but IMO both hogget and mutton that is slow cooked tastes better. I liken it to tasting more like the shank meet off a lamb leg :D



Kind regards
Mick
 
I processed hundreds of sheep on grandads farm ( the farm is WARREGAL) as a teenager.
couple things I haven't seen mentioned.
We would hogtie the sheep first, both front legs and one back together. A sheep will fight to stand up if you leave one front leg free.
We would place one knee ( my right) in the back of the neck and grab the chin/jaw with my left and pull back hard exposing the throat.
Now this is important you must stab through the throat and cut out, aim two thirds the way towards the back of the neck. If you cut from the outside in you stuff it up because it can be hard to cut through the wool.
Keep the neck bent back untill the kicking stops. Blood will spray.
We would then cut around the back knees twist and break the joints leave them attached if you want.start the skinning cut as all other mammals. we susspended the carcuss with a strong stick about 18inches long poked through the gap between the tibea and fibea and the achilles tendon just above where the tendon attaches to the ankle the lamb is now hanging upside down. I have seen the process completed with the animal on the floor.
You can skin a warm sheep by pushing the skin away from the carcass almost like punching but like a slow tai-chi punch, cut and break the fore legs same as the back ones, you will have to cut the head off or twist the head off and cut the tail or the remains of it.
carefully open the belly wall, don't puncture the stomach it'self you will regret it
Get your hand in and loosen the stomach from the cavity pull the intestines and stomach out side the body.
Clamp with your hand the osphegus and cut it free ( your clamping to prevent the stomach contents from spilling out. then put your hand up around the other end of the ailimentry canal ( yep that end) using a very sharp thin blade cut around the anus clamping that off to stop it spilling as well. You should now be able to remove the alimentry canal complete.
Cut out the diaphram cheak the liver ( yum) heart and lungs for discolouration or spots.
The only difference I'm aware of between sheep and any other mammal is the throat cutting bit.
Hope this helps. There has to be some guidlines or a manual available through G'ment agenceys.
Carl
 
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