547275 Sun Aug 10 08:31:10 -0700 2008 32 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 3944662 We reeeaaaalllly dislike NZlamb (the smell and taste) and so I am always on the hunt for Ontario lamb (young, pink, good quality). Anyone want to share their source. I checked the SLM meat place (name escapes me, by the stairs Witt...) and we were not that pleased. Plus, many of their cuts are seasoned and cryovacked. Sun Aug 10 08:31:18 -0700 2008 79652 itryalot 1 3944800 Cumbrae's sources their lamb very carefully, usually S.W. Ont., but sometimes Q.C. http://www.cumbraes.com/main.php?a=wholesale&s=gallery A lot of people like the fresh Australian lamb at Costco, so that may be worth a shot. Sun Aug 10 09:46:29 -0700 2008 3944662 56131 jayt90 1 3946469 Try Bruno's expensive but good. Costco is now selling US lamb which has a stonger flavor than Ontario lamb but it's interesting. Mon Aug 11 06:15:59 -0700 2008 3944662 112335 mexivilla 2 4061878 I second Bruno's, have had good Ontario lamb from there. The St Clair Market has good lamb too (I know it's really a Loblaws but the butcher is good.) Thu Sep 25 14:46:48 -0700 2008 3946469 98493 JamieK 1 3946487 Witteveen DT Mon Aug 11 06:24:32 -0700 2008 3944662 11291 Davwud 1 3946521 Highland Farms and some Loblaws meat counters carry Ontario lamb but at a price. As others suggested, Costco is worth a look, too. This item might also help: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080625.wllamb25/BNStory/robColumnsBlogs/ Mon Aug 11 06:42:29 -0700 2008 3944662 16382 Kagemusha 1 4060739 I believe the people at Vince Gasparro raise their own lamb. Vince Gasparro is a butcher shop on Bloor between Christie and Ossington. You can search this board for other discussions of Gasparro's. Personally, it's my favourite place for lamb. Thu Sep 25 08:21:00 -0700 2008 3944662 17778 Kasia 1 4061336 Lots of Ontario lamb at the Greek butchers on and around the Danforth. Personally we like Ellas on Pape. This is the only lamb I've ever bought so I can't compare it with others, but I can attest no cryovac or seasoning, and they will butcher it to order for you if you want a cut they don't have out. Thu Sep 25 12:06:42 -0700 2008 3944662 12120 julesrules 2 4063384 There is a butcher on Eglinton road in Mississauga, just west of Mississauga road behind the HSBC bank branch. Always fresh ONTARIO lamb and super cheap. $4.99/lb. Place is always busy and I have never been dissapointed with the lamb. If you don't like whats on the counter, they will cut you a fresh piece of your liking. That's IT!..I'm BBQ-ing lamb tonight. Fri Sep 26 08:04:42 -0700 2008 4061336 228668 soze 3 4063747 What cuts at that price, soze? Is this the once-Chinese market in the Chase strip mall on the north side of Eglinton? Fri Sep 26 10:12:44 -0700 2008 4063384 16382 Kagemusha 4 4072333 Musha...>That's the place. All the cuts I have ever bought were at that price. Tue Sep 30 10:36:48 -0700 2008 4063747 228668 soze 5 4073096 Will try 'em. Have you ever checked Town and Country? It's a Middle Eastern market hidden behind the big Shell station around Central Pkwy+Hurontario. Have heard its lamb is good, too. Tue Sep 30 16:51:15 -0700 2008 4072333 16382 Kagemusha 6 4088526 never have...I drive by there almost every day...will have to check it out...thanx. Tue Oct 07 13:05:44 -0700 2008 4073096 228668 soze 3 4072357 Thanks so much for this tip; I am right near there, and didn't have a clue about this place! Tue Sep 30 10:46:00 -0700 2008 4063384 15482 NovoCuisine 2 4073231 The lamb sold at Ella's gets seasoned on the truck as it's transported to the store :-) Have you ever seen it being taken off the truck? The carcasses are just lying directly on the floor of the delivery truck, and not wrapped up in any way. The driver then tosses them over his shouldder, and into the store he goes. Tue Sep 30 18:03:29 -0700 2008 4061336 41175 foodyDudey 1 4065752 I am simply shocked that no one has mentioned Best Baa Farms at the St Lawrence Farmers' Market and now at Riverdale and Dufferin Grove. I've been buying from the ladies at the SLFM for years. Never been disappointed. Simply outstanding quality. While you're there, try their cheeses and yogurt. You may never look at another cow. http://bestbaa.com/ Sat Sep 27 09:00:37 -0700 2008 3944662 12072 Googs 2 4065762 I am glad someone else suggested this place. Their lamb is really very lovely! Sat Sep 27 09:05:41 -0700 2008 4065752 11627 Otonabee 3 4065969 I know. You kinda hafta decide whether to keep it a secret or share with others. The lamb ribs sell out first for a reason and boy I love the ribs. During warmer weather months, I typically cut it into rib chops, lightly marinade, and grill on the cue over some pecan & cherry wood smoke chips. Lambie pie heaven. Sat Sep 27 10:34:15 -0700 2008 4065762 12072 Googs 4 4066711 Yeah I know of what you speak. I have found sometimes that letting your rbest hidden secrets sometimes backfires ;) As to Best Baa I really love their ground lamb. Combine with fresh mint, garlic and a few other things and serve with raita. The best Lamb burger ever. Sat Sep 27 18:24:00 -0700 2008 4065969 11627 Otonabee 2 4068523 SLFM, is that the St.lawrence market or the farmers market across the street? Sun Sep 28 18:13:00 -0700 2008 4065752 224081 BamiaWruz 3 4068587 St. Lawrence farmer's market. The stall is across from St. Clement's Poultry on the east side at the north end. Sun Sep 28 18:41:23 -0700 2008 4068523 11627 Otonabee 4 4072385 Seems that many of us buy lamb at Best Baa SLM, but unfortunately it is Sat. only. We too, do not like the New Zealand lamb, but tried the Australian from Cosco this summer on a few occasions, and DH actually preferred it to the Ontario. In the summer we also cut the rack into chops to B.B.Q. Tue Sep 30 10:59:37 -0700 2008 4068587 10837 erly 1 4088801 I know this is off to the left... I just spent the weekend in Iceland, and Icelandic lamb is the best I have ever tasted. All of the chefs that I interviewed said the same thing about it: The lambs are basically wild, and the stock hasn't been cross bred or messed with for a 1,000 years - since the Vikings arrived with the first sheep. Now here at home my preference would be Ontario lamb grown close to home, but if I were to stumble upon some meat from Iceland I would pounce without thinking twice. G. Tue Oct 07 14:26:09 -0700 2008 3944662 120112 legourmettv 2 4089229 Maybe unwittingly, I think you've nailed the key issue. WHAT'S THE BREED? There are several different breeds of sheep and the key is to find the breed that you prefer. I recall many(!) years ago being astounded by some lamb I ate in a long-gone place on Church St. They told me the secret was that it was Washington State lamb. Whitehouse meats used to stock this, but after 911 the border crossings were restricted, so it was only available here if frozen - so Whitehouse dropped the product and switched to 'fresh' Ontario - which I find much milder in taste (some say this is a good thing). Subsequently I had a further revelation (at another extinct restaurant on Queen St) - again Washington State - now available from the Butcher Shoppe - which is where I still get my lamb (albeit frozen before shipping). I had assumed it was the diet (Quebec lamb from near the St Lawrence purportedly tastes different - more salty) but after finding that Colorado lamb also didn't excite me decided to investigate further. That's when I disovered that around 100 years ago there was a large emigration to the Pacific NorthWest from the Basque area (mostly Spain) and that they had brought the Pyrenees Sheep with them - but to make sheeps' cheese. Over time this breed was also reared as eatin' rather than milkin'. So the Washington State Lamb comes from a separate breed. As, apparently, does the Icelandic! I guess it's time for a lamb tasting! I know that the lambs used to prune the leaves from Ontario grape vines have now been slaughtered. Will one raised on pinot noir vines taste different from one raised on cabernet? Stay tuned - I think I'll be getting to taste both this month. Incidentally, I can usually distinguish New Zealand from Ontario from Washington State from Australian, although I often confuse Colorado. In restaurants in Toronto, the best (for me) is usually Australian - easy to recognise as it's significantly more tender than Ontario (and milder than New Zealand). Ontario often has stringy parts (muscles/tendons) and is the mildest of all. Certainly the choice for people who really don't like lamb (as they recall it from childhood). And the reason the Australian is the most tender - it's aged longer. Those smart Aussies set out to conquer the north American (and European) markets, with a long-term plan. Brilliant in its simplicity, they 'age' the lamb by shipping it in refrigerated ships from Australia. This allows the lamb to age for 21-28 days while in transit, and, at the same time, is cheaper than air-shipping. So they develop a premium product at lower cost. The simplest ideas are the best. Now to find a cheap trip to Iceland - I've been following the air prices but it's still too high for me - but who knows what will happen with the latest financial happenings? Tue Oct 07 17:15:49 -0700 2008 4088801 11134 estufarian 3 4089253 Last spring Cumbrae's had a supply of Texel lambs from Elgin county. Texel is a remote North Sea Island at the tip of Holland, with a breed that has not changed for 1000 years. I'm sure Cumbrae's will repeat this next spring in April or May, as the meat was tender and mild, and a real success. Tue Oct 07 17:26:05 -0700 2008 4089229 56131 jayt90 4 4089280 I'm pretty sure they're also raising Texel in New Zealand - so presumably 'all' NZ lamb is not the same. Apparently their main attribute is that they survive winter very well - but indeed the taste is unknown (to me). Tue Oct 07 17:37:54 -0700 2008 4089253 11134 estufarian 5 4367366 The main attribute of Texel is good wool production, but they are very fine as lamb meat if not too large. Wed Jan 28 17:00:12 -0800 2009 4089280 56131 jayt90 3 4115479 I just started a thread in the Quebec section looking for Central Asian lamb. I had the pleasure of sampling this exquisite meat over my time spent during the past few years in Russia.... at take-your-pick Georgian or Armenian restaurant in any major Russian city (and I imagine, all the better in Tbilisi!). The lamb and mutton, it was explained to me, is trucked or flown into Moscow / St. Pete fresh ... and so if you are fond of gamy, aromatic, relatively fatty meat, you would simply adore this variety. Nothing I have ever sampled from the Americas or Western Europe comes close in terms of the intensity of characteristic lamb flavor that is so enjoyable. So much so that I have embarked on finding it anywhere in Eastern Canada... but doubt I will, as I believe it is Western European breeds which prevail. I believe the breed I am after is Karakul, with an unchanged 1400 year history in Central Asia. Mon Oct 20 00:35:08 -0700 2008 4089229 233504 rictitious 3 4347833 Estufarian do you know of any butchers selling Australian lamb or is this something only encountered in restaurants? TIA. Thu Jan 22 10:31:05 -0800 2009 4089229 83092 Apprentice 4 4348715 Actually the best and cheapest source for Australian lamb is Costco. Bought some chops from there a few weeks ago and were simply blown away. But of course you can only get your basic cuts, so for anything more exotic...yeah, I don't know. Thu Jan 22 14:17:40 -0800 2009 4347833 29140 childofthestorm 4 4378003 I've seen it at Longo's but haven't checked recently. I stick with the Washington State (irony - I'm typing this in Seattle - and haven't been able to find Washington State Lamb here - all simp[ly USDA (mind you I'm not aggressively searching for this ingredient in particular) Sun Feb 01 12:25:22 -0800 2009 4347833 11134 estufarian 1 4348051 http://www.torontolife.ca/features/meat-heads/ Sides of pork are about 100 pounds, custom cut and wrapped to the customer’s specifi­cations. $3.65 per pound. Grass-fed beef, lamb and free-run poultry also available. 905-775‑5520, www.dingofarms.ca You have to read that article! Buy directly from the Farmer and you'll get the freshest product! Thu Jan 22 11:20:35 -0800 2009 3944662 251981 crazyfoodie 1 4367784 If you have the room, there is a place just outside of Hamilton where you can buy it direct from the farmer. They usually sell it in "freezer packs", and I think they have a couple of different packs. I have only had the lamb, and it is fantastic. www.blackwalnutlane.com Wed Jan 28 19:21:16 -0800 2009 3944662 249342 bcg97