# Is it an aquired taste?



## pellet (Dec 13, 2011)

I recall when I was little, my mom made a leg of lamb one time that I know of, and it stunk up the house but I held my nose and tried to eat it. I was told that the smell was the worst of it but the taste was better. I didnt find that to be true in my case. Now as I look throught the meat case I see lots of lamb and Im tempted to try some on the smoker. So as the title of my post ask , is this an aquired taste? or did mom do something wrong? I beleive she just put it in the oven and made it like a roast. I do recall that it didnt get eaten becaue of the smell and taste.  On edit, I checked into Mutton and lamb, I think it was mutton that we had and have heard it is a little less desireable than young lamb.


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## solaryellow (Dec 13, 2011)

I was in the same boat Pellet and then I smoked my first leg of lamb. I made up a Greek rub and then stuffed it with garlic cloves. It was incredible. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/80881/boneless-leg-o-lamb-w-qview

For what it is worth, I have heard US lamb doesn't taste as strongly as that which is imported from New Zealand and Australia. I had a friend that slaughtered a couple lambs and he gave me some meat to try and it definitely had a much more agreeable flavor for me. Good luck!


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## africanmeat (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi Pellet  Lamb is a game meat and can be with out smell or with a strong smell .

the lamb in Greece got a strong smell the south african lamb don't smell at all

i think it got to do with the bread and the food


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## rbranstner (Dec 13, 2011)

My neighbor always raved about how his family would make lamb over a open pit and he always invited us to come and try it. Well one time they made it at their house and they saved a big piece for us and my wife and I.  I opened the container and couldn't stand the smell and when we tried it we both spit it out and threw away the meat as there was no way that we could stomach it. I don't believe that they trimmed any of the tallow off the lamb when they cooked it because it smelled like cooked tallow which just about makes me puke thinking about it. I can't stand the smell of tallow. I have made several leg of lamb roasts and we love it and have grilled chunks of it many times on kabobs and that was great as well. Even my parents who where scared to eat lame loved it grilled. If I had to guess you were smelling and tasting that tallow which from what I can tell you either like it or hate it. My neighbor and his family love it but it won't go over at all at my house. If you trim it up good and put a nice seasoning on there I find it really hard to believe that you wouldn't like it. We love lamb at our house but we don't eat it very often because it is pretty spendy. Just make sure you don't over cook it as you want to eat it on the medium rare side.


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## pellet (Dec 13, 2011)

rbranstner said:


> My neighbor always raved about how his family would make lamb over a open pit and he always invited us to come and try it. Well one time they made it at their house and they saved a big piece for us and my wife and I.  I opened the container and couldn't stand the smell and when we tried it we both spit it out and threw away the meat as there was no way that we could stomach it. I don't believe that they trimmed any of the tallow off the lamb when they cooked it because it smelled like cooked tallow which just about makes me puke thinking about it. I can't stand the smell of tallow. I have made several leg of lamb roasts and we love it and have grilled chunks of it many times on kabobs and that was great as well. Even my parents who where scared to eat lame loved it grilled. If I had to guess you were smelling and tasting that tallow which from what I can tell you either like it or hate it. My neighbor and his family love it but it won't go over at all at my house. If you trim it up good and put a nice seasoning on there I find it really hard to believe that you wouldn't like it. We love lamb at our house but we don't eat it very often because it is pretty spendy. Just make sure you don't over cook it as you want to eat it on the medium rare side.


That sounds like what I might have smelled. After positng my question, I googled Mutton and found that I may have had mutton which would be why the smell and taste was so strong. I agree with the tallow smell. And since you brought it up, I spent many years on the  railroad and worked in a rail yard that stored tallow cars and the smell of those cars could have a relative smell that I experienced as a kid. My leg of lamb one and only time was in the mid 60's so it did leave an impression on me but I am game to try it again on the smoker.


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## venture (Dec 13, 2011)

I am another whose mother made "lamb" I could not eat.

Lamb is now about my favorite meat when the budget permits.

I will always believe it was mutton my mother was making.

Be sure you are getting true lamb, and good quality at that.  It will make a huge difference.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 13, 2011)

Man I grew up eating lamb chops. I don't know where my Mom got them, but there was never any bad smell or taste. I still love lamb, but it costs so much I rarely buy it.


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## papagreer (Dec 13, 2011)

I never ate lamb as a kid but that would be my dad's meat of choice at Easter time. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have joined him eating those lamb chops.....yum!


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## mballi3011 (Dec 13, 2011)

I also grew up with lamb being on the table quite a bit. Now I love lamb and we really love the lamb lollilpops grilled that is. I also make a pretty killer lamb sausage to. Tanks to Joel (solaryellow)


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## owlcreeksmoker4 (Dec 14, 2011)

ive never had a bad smell with any lamb ive eaten (knock on wood) id give it one mroe go, couldnt hurt too much right?


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## pellet (Dec 14, 2011)

Owlcreeksmoker4 said:


> ive never had a bad smell with any lamb ive eaten (knock on wood) id give it one mroe go, couldnt hurt too much right?




Thats kind of what my line of thinking was. After doing a little research, its possible that I could have had mutton and I do recall dad referring to it as mutton. So I will give the _Lamb_ a try. I think Rbranster hit on the problem with the tallow. I can still smell those tallow tanks in the rail yard and I can still smell that leg of lamb (or mutton) in the oven 40 + years ago  and there is not much difference in the smell.


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## justpassingthru (Dec 17, 2011)

Hey Pellet,

I can't add much to what has already been said, I was the same way, didn't like lamb/mutton, then one day I smoked one just to see if I could, I gave it away, but asked my bride to cut off a small piece, ..we were sorry we had given it away, if was fantastic, what I have learned with the garlic is to use old garlic, old to the point it is turning brown and soft, then when you smoke it it just dissolves into the meat, ...like I said, fantastic.

Enjoy your smoking,

Gene


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## moikel (Dec 21, 2011)

Its about the fat. Grew up on lamb ate it couple of times a week as a kid it was cheaper than chicken.But the wife cant stand the smell.What your used to I  suppose. I remember my first non family job paid $120 nett in 1977 .A side of lamb& big lamb at that was $13 for the whole deal. Crazy prices now.

Capretto,young goat is worth a try,if you are after a similar taste. But its got to be young, 6-10 kg the whole body nett. Not as fatty,grilled over charcoal baste EVO garlic,rosemary ,oregano,lemon,CBP. Rivet posted a Spanish vibe one a while back ,looked great.

If it ever strops raining here Ill do some.They had it in my local meat market today.I will stick it on the list.


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