An introduction to hogget

Lamb isn’t something I personally grew up eating at all. It’s not a protein my parents specifically bought to prepare for my family, so it’s never been included in my own shopping list as an adult. It wasn’t until I moved to the UK in 2015 that I noticed how the consumption of lamb and mutton was more common on this side of the pond compared to my hometown in the US.

If, like me, you’ve never bought lamb before, you might be interested to learn that cuts of sheep are classed by a certain range of ages. Lamb refers to cuts within a sheep’s first year of life and it’s usually considered to be mild in terms of flavour. Mutton comes from sheep over 2 years of age and has a deeper, meatier flavour compared to lamb. In the interest of Spring and entering a fresh, new season, we’ve recently introduced a range of hogget cuts available to you this Easter. Hogget refers to sheep between 1 and 2 years of age, and the flavour falls right in the middle of lamb and mutton.

Once our supply chain manager, Sam, got over the shock of my never having tried lamb before, I was given the opportunity to try some hogget chops for the first time. I was a little unsure about cooking but, after quickly searching the web for ideas, I opted to rub the chops with a bit of olive oil and our Glastonbury Lamb Rub. This rub also works for more than lamb in my opinion! I then put a bit of salted butter in a pan on medium heat and let the chops cook about 3-4 minutes on each side. The rub gave the hogget chops a lovely crust, and I had them with a side of vegetables and roasted potatoes. It really couldn’t have been easier, and the flavour from the rub and the meat itself was incredible. For a mid-week meal, for me this felt like a special treat.

A lot of that good flavour is thanks to the dry-aging process of the hogget chops. All our meat goes through an aging process of some kind. Aging the meat breaks down the proteins to make it more tender, moist, and flavourful. Our hogget cuts have gone through a dry-aging process of 7-10 days.

If you’re looking for something that’s more economical this Easter but is still guaranteed to offer excellent flavour, I highly recommend considering hogget this year. If you are unsure about how to cook hogget, you can follow the same general rules as lamb. Harder working muscles (like shoulder) will benefit from low and slow cooking, whilst chops and cutlets are fantastic for pan-searing.

If you are looking for some Easter centrepiece inspiration, here are some of our favourite Hogget cuts that we recommend giving a go.

Whole or Half Shoulder or Dry-Aged Hogget

One of the best-value cuts of Hogget, the shoulder loves slow cooking and will infuse an incredible depth of flavour into whatever cooking liquid you choose (wine or lamb stock works well).

Dry-Aged Hogget Gigot Chops

Cut across the leg of a sheep, these Gigot Chops have a full circular form with a single marrowbone through the middle. When cooked, the flavour from the marrowbone will infuse into the cut, acting as a butter-like alternative that naturally bastes the meat. You can choose to cook these chops quickly under the grill, or low and slow with plenty of fresh herbs and stock.

Whole or Half Leg of Dry-Aged Hogget

Another great option for slow cooking, Hogget Leg is wonderfully flavourful and works well if roasted with half a bottle of wine, shallots and garlic.