Shetland Meat
"Shetlands are a breed of sheep with an historic
reputation of producing delicious mutton"
Country View 2004
The Shetland sheep produces very high quality meat with outstanding flavour and fine texture. As with other primitive breeds Shetlands tend to store much of their body fat around the organs rather than solely in the muscle. This results in far leaner meat than modern breeds. In addition it is low in lipid fat making it excellent for low cholesterol diets.
Typically the meat falls into 3 main classes:
Lamb is from sheep of under one year of age. A whole lamb
will kill out at around 10-18 kg depending on its diet. This produces a freezer pack
of lean, succulent, flavoursome meat.
Shetland lamb is ideal for fast preparation. With its delicate flavour it doesn't
need elaborate preparation or sauces.Try grilling or lightly frying with a hint of
garlic or mint.
Hoggs or Hoggets are aged between 1 and 2 years and kill out at 16-20kgs in April/May. The meat may be cooked as lamb and is even more flavoursome.
Mutton is from an animal over 2 years old - the real gourmet mutton is from a 4 or 5 year old sheep. Shetland mutton is absolutely delicious. It is best cooked slowly, perhaps marinaded in olive oil with rosemary or garlic. Slow roasting using beer in a slow cooker is also recommended.
The Shetland's high meat-to-bone ratio means that carcasses can achieve a killing out percentage of more than 50%.
All sheep meat cuts benefit from a period of "hanging". Mutton in particular can be hung for up to 10 days adding considerably to the flavour and texture.
When crossed with a suitable terminal sire a heavier, faster maturing lamb is produced which is readily acceptable at markets and can reach up to 40kg liveweight on good grazing.
See the Society's recipe book "Shepherd's Delight" for recipes and preparation ideas.
