Lamb Cuts Explained: A Guide to Every Cut and How to Cook It
Ask The Farmers — straight answers from Michael & Carolyn Emeny, 4th-generation Mudgee farmers and owner/operators of Mudgee Meat
Cook a shoulder like a leg, or a leg like a shoulder, and you'll end up disappointed either way — and that's really the whole story of lamb. Every cut comes off a different part of the animal, and each one has done a different amount of work on that animal, which is exactly what decides whether it wants three hours in a low oven or three minutes on a hot grill. We're Michael and Carolyn Emeny — 4th-generation farmers from Mudgee in the NSW Central Tablelands, and the founders of Mudgee Meat. Here's every cut we sell, where it comes from, how to cook it properly, and a real recipe from our own kitchen for each one — answered the way we'd tell a mate over the farm gate.
How a lamb actually breaks down
Butchers generally split a lamb into three broad sections. The forequarter (front half) gives you shoulder, forequarter chops and neck — muscles that work hard and carry more connective tissue, so they want low, slow heat. The loin and rib section (the middle) gives you rack, cutlets, loin chops and chump chops — the most tender part of the animal, built for quick, hot cooking. The hindquarter (back half) gives you leg, shanks and diced lamb — lean, hardworking in places, and needing different treatment depending on exactly which muscle you're cooking.
Once you know which section a cut comes from, how to cook it stops being a guessing game.
The cuts, one by one
Whole Shoulder — forequarter, low and slow
A square-cut, bone-in piece at around 1.8kg. Well marbled with plenty of connective tissue, which is exactly why it needs time — cooked low and slow, that tissue melts down and the meat falls apart with a fork.
Best cooked: low and slow, on the bone, until it pulls apart. $45.95.
Try it: Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder or Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Garlic and Rosemary.
Forequarter Chops — forequarter, versatile
The shoulder, cut into chops. A genuine family-value cut that holds up to BBQ, grill or slow cooking equally well.
Best cooked: flexible — BBQ, grill, or slow cooker. $24.95/kg.
Try it: Slow-Cooker Lamb Obsession — this is the exact recipe we point customers to on the Forequarter Chops product page itself.
Leg Roast — hindquarter, roasted whole
From the hind leg, left whole at around 2.2kg. Lean and tightly grained, so it holds its shape and slices cleanly once rested.
Best cooked: whole in the oven, low heat, until just pink, then rested before carving. $55.95.
Try it: Traditional Aussie Lamb Leg Roast with Mint Sauce for the classic version — or for something different, Geoff The Chef's Slow Roasted 6 Hour Lamb Leg proves a whole leg can also be given the shoulder treatment: rubbed, seared, then braised low and slow until it's spoon-soft and pull-apart tender, rather than carved pink. Two completely different, equally legitimate ways to cook the same cut.
Shanks — the lower leg, built for braising
The lower section of the leg — the hardest-working muscle on the whole animal, at around 300–400g each. That's exactly why it rewards slow braising rather than fighting it.
Best cooked: slow-braised for hours until it falls off the bone. $24.95/kg.
Try it: Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank with Rosemary and Red Wine.
Loin Chops — the loin, quick and easy
The loin cut into chops with the tail left on — those crunchy tails are exactly why this one's a household favourite. Around 11 chops per kilo, 70–90g each.
Best cooked: BBQ, griller or oven — quick and hot. $34.95/kg.
Try it: Mudgee Meat Grilled Lamb Chops or Grilled Spring Lamb with Asparagus and Lemon-Herb Marinade.
Chump Chops — between loin and leg
Exactly where the name suggests — between the loin and the leg. Around 9 chops per kilo, 100–120g each, with the same quick-cook character as loin chops.
Best cooked: BBQ, grill or oven. $28.95/kg.
Try it: the same grilled chops recipes above work just as well for chump as loin.
Rack — the rib section, prized whole
Taken from the rib section, typically 8 bones per rack, at around 800g — where the meat is at its juiciest and most tender. A much sought-after cut, prized for how evenly it cooks and how well it presents whole.
Best cooked: roasted, pan-seared, grilled, or finished in a smoker. $45.95 (~$57.45/kg equivalent).
Try it: Christmas Lamb Rack with Mint Pesto or Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Silky Red Wine Jus.
Cutlets — the rack, cut into individual pieces
The same rib section as the rack, just cut into individual cutlets rather than left whole — same tenderness, quicker to cook, and easier to portion.
Best cooked: quick grill or pan-sear. $57.95/kg.
Try it: Grilled Mediterranean Spiced Lamb Cutlets or Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Minted Pea Puree.
Ribs — a snack cut, built for seasoning
Cut into single pieces from the rib section. A perfect pre-dinner snack, built to take on your own seasoning or marinade.
Best cooked: BBQ or oven, seasoned your way. $18.95/kg.
Try it: Australian Lamb Ribs with Native Bush Spices.
Mince and burger patties — from trim, endlessly versatile
Lamb mince and our Lamb, Honey & Rosemary Burger Patties don't come from one specific cut — they're made from trim across the animal, which is exactly why they're the most flexible thing in the whole range.
Best cooked: however you like — pan, grill, oven. $28.95/kg (mince) or $28.95 (burger patties).
Try it: Aussie Lamb Burgers for Australia Day.
Quick reference: which cut for which job
| Cut | From | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Shoulder | Forequarter | Low and slow, falls apart | $45.95 |
| Forequarter Chops | Forequarter | BBQ, grill or slow cooker | $24.95/kg |
| Leg Roast | Hindquarter | Roasted whole (or slow-braised) | $55.95 |
| Shanks | Hindquarter (lower leg) | Slow braise | $24.95/kg |
| Loin Chops | Loin | Quick BBQ or grill | $34.95/kg |
| Chump Chops | Between loin and leg | Quick BBQ or grill | $28.95/kg |
| Rack | Rib section | Roast, pan-sear, grill, smoke | $45.95 |
| Cutlets | Rib section | Quick grill or pan-sear | $57.95/kg |
| Ribs | Rib section | BBQ or oven snack | $18.95/kg |
| Mince / burger patties | Trim | However you like | $28.95/kg |
If you'd rather not choose — the whole half lamb
If picking one cut feels limiting, our Grass Fed Half Lamb gives you almost everything above in one order, cut the traditional way, at a minimum of 9kg:
- Leg Roast — x1
- Shank — x1
- Shoulder Chops, Cutlets, Chump Chops, Loin Chops, Neck Chops
- Rack of Ribs — x1
- Sausages — 1kg
- Plus off-cuts, trimmed for soup or your pet
Nothing pre-selected and nothing missing — it's the genuine variety of a whole half animal, vac-packed, without ordering a full one. If you want the whole animal, our Grass-Fed Full Lamb gives you the same spread, doubled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I cook a shoulder the same way as a leg? Shoulder carries a lot of connective tissue and needs low, slow heat over a long time to break it down and become tender. A leg is naturally lean and tender already — cooked the same slow way as a shoulder, it can still work (see Geoff the Chef's 6-hour version), but cooked the shoulder's way by accident and rushed, it comes out tough and dry rather than falling apart.
Which cuts are best for a quick weeknight dinner? Loin chops, chump chops and cutlets — all from the loin and rib section, all built for a quick, hot cook rather than hours in the oven.
Which cut is the best value? Ribs ($18.95/kg), shanks and forequarter chops (both $24.95/kg) are the most affordable cuts in the range — and forequarter chops and shanks both reward a slow cook, which stretches a cheaper cut a long way.
What's the easiest way to get a full range of lamb cuts without choosing? Our Grass Fed Half Lamb (min. 9kg, $249) gives you leg, shoulder, chump, loin and neck chops, a rack of ribs and house-made sausages in one order — everything a whole half lamb gives you, cut properly.
Michael & Carolyn Emeny are 4th-generation farmers from Mudgee, NSW, and the founders of Mudgee Meat. Their family has farmed the Central Tablelands for over a century. Since 2012 they've delivered grass-fed beef and lamb, paddock-raised pork and bulk packs — butchered in-house and sourced direct from trusted Australian farmers — to families across Australia. Got a question for the farm gate? Ask the Farmers.